This course will focus on public health and health care delivery in the Arctic. The main public health challenges and opportunities in the region will be addressed, by examining historical and current health and disease patterns and the organization of healthcare systems in the Arctic.
Through the course the students will familiarize themselves with how to deliver health care in one of the coldest, most remote, and sparsely populated regions of the world. The class will focus primarily on Arctic Scandinavia, but may also include comparative insights from Greenland and the North American Arctic (Canada, Alaska). The course will take an interdisciplinary approach and draw concepts, theory and research from the fields of public health science and epidemiology.
Ph.D.; cand. soc. Head of Education, Peqqissaanermik Illiniarfik, Greenland 2025-present, External Lecturer, University of Copenhagen 2024; Associate Professor University of Southern Denmark 2011-2024; Ph.D-student University of Copenhagen 2006-2011; Associate Professor Den sociale Højskole 2001-2006; With DIS since 2026.
About this tour
The Arctic is a novel and remote part of the world to many. This tour to northern Norway will explore a small part of the Arctic academically, culturally, and geographically.
We will study the public health challenges and opportunities of delivering healthcare in this remote region. You will learn from an administrative and practical point of view how health professionals and administrators work in this setting. We will investigate how healthcare is prioritized, which services are provided, and where these services are located physically.
With its Arctic climate, low population density, and a population composed of both indigenous Sami and non-indigenous groups, Northern Norway presents a rich case study in adapting healthcare systems to remote and diverse communities.
Learning outcomes
Understand the relation between the performance and set-up of the health care system, including challenges in administering and prioritizing public health in a remote region such as northern Norway
Observe and understand the challenges indigenous populations face in relation to healthcare due to cultural differences such as nomadic lifestyles and language, while reflecting on how this affects their quality of care
Investigate the geographic challenges and socioeconomic conditions of the region
Possible activities
Visit a regional hospital to learn how they practice medicine and the specific skills and resources necessary for providing care in the region
Speak with staff of a health station providing care to people living in remote regions
Learn from health care administrators how they plan delivery of services and cover a large geographical area with scarce resources
Looking for some advice? We’ll support you every step of the way.
