Global Health Law: A Primer for Health Students, Practitioners, & Professionals | June 2-6, 2025

COURSE FORMAT

Hybrid. Course will be taught live to both in-person and online participants approximately 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM (Montreal time) each day June 2–6, 2025 (Monday-Friday). An optional welcome session will be held online on May 29th for all online participants. Live content will be recorded and accessible to participants until July 1, 2025.

DESCRIPTION

Effective laws and policies are critical to advancing health globally. From infectious and non-communicable diseases to the equitable uptake of health-related technologies, law and policies can contribute to addressing major contemporary health challenges. Despite this, in many countries, legislation and practices are antiquated and, at times, even hostile to the goals of promoting health and access to medicines. For the advancement of health to become a reality for all, it is crucial that all health professionals - including medical students, health practitioners and others - have the tools to address and navigate the complex relationship between global health and law.

The goal of this course is to provide the legal knowledge public health, health policy and law students, and other professionals need to harness the power of law as a tool to improve global public health.

View the 2024 Course Agenda below: 

COURSE DIRECTORS

Yann Joly, Ph.D. (DCL), FCAHS, Ad.E.
Director, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University
James McGill Professor, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University
Associate member, Bioethics Unit and Faculty of Law, McGill University
Advocatus Emeritus, Quebec Bar

Diya Uberoi, Ph.D., JD, LLM, MPhil
Academic Associate- Centre of Genomics & Policy, McGill University

CONTENT

This course, led by the Centre of Genomics & Policy at McGill, offers an introduction to the fundamental elements of global health law and policy. It considers the form and function of global health and provides an introduction to how laws and policies interact with emerging issues in global health today. Where however, many faculties approach this course, from a perspective on the present and the foundations of the field, this course endeavors to also consider its future. Key topics include: the role of the WHO in global health governance, the framework convention on tobacco control, global health and human rights, international frameworks for pandemic preparedness, ethical implications of mobile health-care applications and the role of law and governance in matters of genomics.

The course will be taught in seminar style, complemented by thematic class discussions and case studies. Through class lectures, case studies, and discussions, students will be asked to reflect on the complex relationship between law and its interaction with emerging health concerns.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Reflect upon the role of international law and human rights in global health.
• Discuss the role different international actors and institutions play in enforcing health.
• Understand the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic research.
• Apply legal and ethical concepts to analyze different matters of public health.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Health practitioners and medical students
• Public health and health policy students
• Law students
• Professionals interested in international/global health policies
• Community advocates and civil society
• Health care corporates
• Professionals from international health and law organizations

ENROLMENT

Limited to 50 online participants and 50 in-person participants.