Weeks 1–2 (Sessions 1–6)
Module 1: Seeing Illness
Illness as biological, narrative, and social experience
We begin by asking: What is illness, and what does it mean to live with it, witness it, or measure it?
This foundational module introduces students to tuberculosis (TB) as both a biological disease and a social condition. We explore the basic microbiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis—how it spreads, what it does in the body, and how it becomes latent or active. Alongside this, we examine how illness is interpreted through personal stories, cultural narratives, and social systems.
Key Disciplines: Microbiology, epidemiology, medicine, anthropology, narrative studies
Key Skills: Narrative analysis, foundational biomedical literacy, data interpretation, reflective writing
Weeks 3–5 (Sessions 7–10)
Module 2: How the World Got Sick
Colonialism, capitalism, and the historical roots of disease
How did tuberculosis—and other diseases—become global and later become global health disparities? In this module, students trace the origins of today’s health inequities through histories of empire, extractive economies, and environmental transformation. We explore how industrialization, racial capitalism, and urban planning created conditions for TB to thrive, and how medical systems were built to serve some populations over others.
Key Disciplines: History, political economy, environmental health, urban planning
Key Skills: Historical reasoning, systems mapping, ecological analysis, interdisciplinary synthesis
Weeks 6–7 (Sessions 11–14)
Module 3: Stories of Survival
Patient experiences, resilience, and the emotional landscape of care
What does it mean to survive tuberculosis—not just biologically, but emotionally, socially, and spiritually? In this module, we listen closely to those who have lived with TB and those who have tried to care for them. Their stories offer powerful insight into the daily realities of illness: the strain of misdiagnosis, the trauma of isolation, the exhaustion of caregiving, and the moral weight of making decisions under conditions of scarcity.
Key Disciplines: Medical anthropology, psychology, global health delivery, ethics
Key Skills: Narrative interpretation, empathic reasoning, trauma-informed analysis, ethical decision-making
Weeks 8–9 (Sessions 15–18)
Module 4: Diagnosing the System
Health systems, scientific discovery, and implementation failures
What counts as a cure? What happens when systems break down? This module shifts focus from individuals to the infrastructures that shape health outcomes—labs, clinics, funding agencies, and policy regimes. We trace the arc from Robert Koch’s identification of M. tuberculosis to the World Health Organization’s DOTS strategy and beyond, examining what scientific discovery means in a political world.
Key Disciplines: Biomedical science, health policy, economics, implementation science
Key Skills: Research evaluation, metrics critique, systems thinking, cost-benefit analysis
Weeks 10–11 (Sessions 19–22)
Module 5: Healing Together
Community care, access, and interdisciplinary solutions
How do people make care systems work—especially when official systems fall short? This module centers community health workers, social movements, and local leadership in delivering effective care. Students explore case studies from around the world—including Durham—to understand how team science, structural competency, and supply chain design contribute to resilient health systems.
Key Disciplines: Medicine, nursing, community health, organizational behavior, ethics
Key Skills: Stakeholder mapping, collaborative problem-solving, intervention design, equity analysis
Weeks 12–14 (Sessions 23–26)
Module 6: Imagining Otherwise
Building just and equitable futures in global health
What could global health look like if we built it differently? Our final module challenges students to imagine alternative futures for health equity. Drawing on lessons from TB, we explore how climate change, conflict, and migration intersect with disease, including TB and beyond. Students use tools from policy design, futures thinking, and narrative strategy to propose new visions for global health rooted in justice and sustainability.
Key Disciplines: Climate science, public policy, design thinking, data science, futures studies
Key Skills: Strategic foresight, proposal development, public communication, interdisciplinary innovation