There is no right length for an IPHU. Length depends on resources, flexibility of target audience and of faculty and content and objectives. In some cases we have located an IPHU within a larger event such as a world social forum.
All IPHUs are different but we do recognise that some are more general than specialist and other do have a specialist focus.
Generalist IPHUs, "Struggle for Health", generally cover topics such as:
- political economy of health (includes globalisation, international institutions, etc);
- health systems including primary health care and UHC;
- the social determinants of health;
- health and the environmental struggle;
- the right to health;
- social change and forms of action;
- research for people’s health;
- spirit, meaning and ethics; and
- communications and information technology.
We have also presented several specialist courses although these includes some coverage of the generic topics above. Among the special topics around which these more specialised IPHUs have been structured:
- medicines policy
- trade and health
- global health governance
- women's health / reproductive and sexual health
Two important variants are:
- the El Salvador program of courses bringing together health activists with government officials; and
- the South African People's Health University (SAPU) courses which have had a strong focus on community health workers.
Most courses we have presented have been face to face but we have experimented with online presentations.
See IPHU On Line for more detail.
Most of the courses we have presented so far have been on a live in basis. However, PHM UK has presented a number of successful courses in London based on one day per week or similar.
One of the biggest differences among our courses has been between monolingual courses and those encompassing two or more languages.
