RIF – Social Determinants of Health

Description

The Inter-American Training Network on Social Determinants of Health (REDET) is a consortium of 12 universities from 11 countries and from five regions of the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE).

Objectives

REDET’s main objective is, on the one hand, to improve higher training on public health in the field of “social determinants of health” and, on the other, to design a reference framework for training in this field that strengthens the organization and rapprochement of programs in advanced studies on public health. REDET also aims at developing joint strategies in order to provide advanced training in public health and to conduct research initiatives in areas of common interest for members of the network.

To this end, REDET has developed an academic program that consists in the creation of nine training modules on social determinants of health, which are being incorporated into the master’s programs in public health of the Network’s university members.

REDET began its activities in 2000 with the involvement of six universities, which developed the Network’s academic project under the coordination of the Université de Montréal. Six public health schools from Central America and the Caribbean were subsequently incorporated in 2006. A process for the transfer of training modules that have been developed has been started in these universities. The transfer phase is coordinated by the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Results

The following results have been obtained from REDET’s work: 

• Creation and launch of the Inter-American Training Network on Social Determinants of Health (REDET)
• Conception and implementation of the Pilot Project
• Development of the Network’s academic program
• Integration of the material into the master’s programs in public health of the Network’s member universities
• Joining of six public health schools from Central America and the Caribbean to the Network
• Development of a methodology for the “transfer” of training modules to other public health programs that are interested 
• Beginning of the module transfer process to new public health schools that are incorporated into the Network
• Beginning of negotiations with the Virtual Campus in Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for the virtualization of the training modules developed

For further information please contact:
Geneviève Meloche
Inter-American Training Network Program Coordinator
College of the Americas
3744, Jean-Brillant, bureau 592
Montreal, Quebec (Canada) H3T 1P1

Phone number: (514) 343-6980
Fax: (514) 343-6454
melochg@exchange.umontreal.ca