Community-based participatory methods in public health

The importance of Community-Based ParticipatoryMethods (CBPM) is increasingly recognised within the field of Public Health.Participatory approaches are in line with the shift towards ecological models which bring the community at the heart of interventions, services, and policies.CBPM aim to engage individuals, hospitals, health service providers, social organisations, and government officials to develop partnerships and co-create positive change. CBPM enable public health professionals, researchers and communities to work as partners in the design, execution, and application of programmes and services that address their health needs. CBPM are of particular relevance in the context of the Covid-19 global crisis. This pandemic hasr evealed once again the impact of health inequalities on vulnerable groups. Community engagement and cooperation are needed more than ever to develop and harness the communal effort required to support sustainable pandemic management responses that are grounded in local realities and needs. CBPM are uniquely positioned to ensure that responses are based on understanding, engaging and working with communities.

This course aims to provide participants with knowledge about the key principles, methods, concepts and techniques of community-based participatory methods and the practical application ofCBPM in the context of public health. Participants will learn how CBPM can be applied in the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programmes (i.e. health promotion, prevention of disease and management of chronic illness). It will also facilitate a space of reflection to examine howCBPM can be used to support the response to the Covid-19 pandemic including vaccination efforts and interventions to tackle health inequalities.    

By the end of the course participants will:

• Understand why and for which purposes community-based participatory methods are useful
• Understand key concepts, methods, and applications of community-based participatory methods
• Understand how to apply community-based participatory methods in health programmes
• Understand which participatory methods are appropriate for community-based interventions
• Be able to critically assess the strengths and limitations of community-based participatory methods in public health

None.

• Research informed teaching
• Interactive sessions
• Lectures and experimental learning activities
• Case studies and examples from around the world to illustrate applications of CBPM in different contexts and countries
• Exercises, group discussion and presentations will be used to assess understanding
• Feedback will be provided for these activities

• Group work: Create a proposal/plan for a community based participatory project (this can be based on students’ own experience orto address a health problem in their own country)
• A 10-minute PowerPoint/Prezi presentation of the plan to deliver in class
• Contribution to class, forum discussions and exercises

Facilitators and participants of this course will be online. In case participants are already in Lugano to attend another course, they can follow the course from a dedicated classroom/hub in Lugano.