SP404: Global Health (School of Political Science and Sociology) Essay Assessment 2026/27 | UoG
SP404 Global Health Assessment
| Module | SP404 (School of Political Science and Sociology, global health topic) |
| University | University of Galway |
| Assessment | Essay, 2,000 words (+/- 10%, excluding references) |
| Weighting | 70% of the overall course mark |
| Academic year | 2026–2027 |
| Due | 23:59, Friday 4 December 2026 |
| Referencing | Harvard preferred (APA or Chicago accepted if consistent) |
This University of Galway essay asks students to look critically at why global health systems are so hard to reform in ways that meet people’s needs more fairly, and which strategies, at global or local level, are most likely to deliver progressive change. The marks reward a balanced argument built on the course readings rather than a general description of health systems.
Essay Question
What are the main challenges to reforming global health systems to better and more fairly meet people’s health needs? What strategies are most likely to help achieve progressive health reforms, at either global, or more local scales?
Essay Instructions
- Write one essay of 2,000 words; the word limit does not include the References list.
- Choose your essay topic in week 6 (from 12 October), which is set aside for getting started on the assignment.
- Match your essay title to the relevant topic or module, and place the essay title clearly at the head of your essay.
- Use about 4–10 good quality sources, at least half from the assigned course materials, including at least 2 key readings for the
- corresponding topic in the Course Outline.
- Use Harvard in-text citation with a full, alphabetical References list and minimal footnotes or endnotes.
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Suggested Readings Listed on the Course Page
- Key reading: WHO proposals for health reform
- Key reading: article by Labonté
- Lancet editorial, Radical Change for Global Health
- Schillings, Sánchez-Ancochea and Mohammed (2023), Universalism in Healthcare (policy forum article)
- Thiagarajan (2021) on COVID-19 in Kerala
- Lancet Global Burden of Disease article
- De Jong on capabilities and reproductive health; Hiam and Yates on COVID-19; Farmer, The Consumption of the Poor
- COVID-19 in the Global South (free book); Komlos on declining height; inequality and children’s brains
SP404 Essay Rubric
- Scope and relevance: is the essay clearly relevant to the course content (ideas, theories, readings, examples and evaluative measures) in the Course Outline and lectures?
- Depth: is the discussion competently developed and illustrated with relevant concepts, context, data, policies or examples?
- Critical discussion and analysis: does the essay take a critical, balanced and nuanced approach?
- Structure: is the essay coherently and logically structured and presented?
- Referencing: are the citations and References list correct and consistent?