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Academy

Mobile University for Health

ABOUT MUH

MUH is an initiative of the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB). It aims to equip women and men to serve as Community Health Workers (CHWs) in their respective countries, and to support upon graduation in access to healthcare, rebuilding thereby the healthcare system.

The MUH is comprised of two components: a Capacity Building component and a Community of Practice (CoP) component.

The Capacity Building component comprises four courses that are delivered in person or remotely by experienced faculty at GHI. The CoP is intended to support graduating CHWs in their work through technical and programmatic support by GHI staff.

 

To contribute to the career building of refugees and host communities in the health sector

To identify the health needs and priorities of displaced Syrians and host communities

To develop academically-based educational programs that fit the needs of refugees and host communities

To identify the gaps in health services, health training, and availability of health workforce

CAPACITY BUILDING

The Capacity Building component of MUH provides health education, through certificates that focus on priority health topics. Graduating CHWs become equipped to take an active role in the delivery of accurate health-related information and activities within their communities.

It is tailored for entry-level education for participants interested in becoming Community Health Workers (CHWs).

The Capacity Building is offered through interactive lectures that promote critical thinking and learning, empowering participants to learn how to effectively work within their communities. Currently, it includes four certificates: Women’s Health, Mental Health, Non-Communicable Diseases, and Infection Prevention and Control.

The Capacity Building component is composed of four main certificates:

WOMEN’S HEALTH CERTIFICATE (WHC)

This certificate provides entry-level education for participants interested in becoming Community Health Workers (CHWs) and focuses on the area of Women’s Health. The curriculum focuses on the physiological, psychological and social factors that affect the growth and development of women. The coursework also covers specialty topics including pregnancy, common diseases, and preventative care. Participants will learn to take these factors into account as they develop skills to effectively work with the female population within their communities. This program will be offered though interactive lectures to ensure the best learning setting for participants and promote critical thinking and learning, while encouraging active engagement.

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES CERTIFICATE (NCDC)

This certificate provides entry-level education for participants interested in becoming Community Health Workers (CHWs) and focuses on the area of Non-Communicable Diseases. This certificate will provide an introduction to the four main non-communicable disease groups which cause the greatest number of deaths: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (including asthma), while also providing variation in the etiology, diagnosis, intervention and prevention of non-communicable diseases. This program will be offered though interactive lectures to ensure the best learning setting for participants and promote critical thinking and learning, while encouraging active engagement.

MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT CERTIFICATE (MHPSSC)

This certificate provides entry-level education for participants interested in becoming Community Health Workers (CHWs) and focuses on the area of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. This program aims to upskill learners to work sensitively with people of all ages experiencing mental health illnesses, by which they will learn about the early identification, risk assessment and timely intervention of the most common mental health conditions. This curriculum also features a number of exercises designed to examine the concepts of gender and gender-based violence. It will further explore the impact of gender-based violence on various aspects of women’s life. This program will be offered though interactive lectures to ensure the best learning setting for participants and promote critical thinking and learning, while encouraging active engagement.

INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL CERTIFICATE (IPCC)

This certificate provides entry-level education for participants interested in becoming Community Health Workers (CHWs) and focuses on the area of infectious diseases. By the end of this program, the participant will understand the basics underlying communicable diseases and identify the most common illnesses encountered by the community. The participant will also learn about the best preventive methods against communicable diseases and how to apply them to the community, while also highlighting the important role of vaccines. This program will be offered though interactive lectures to ensure the best learning setting for participants and promote critical thinking and learning, while encouraging active engagement.

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

The CoP component of MUH provides technical and programmatic support to CHWs empowering them to successfully bridge the gap between the formal healthcare systems and the community.
In the CoP component, CHWs will lead community-based health awareness and promotion events with the support of GHI staff and experts.

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