Bad Science, Bad Policy: Improving Globa

This course examines the relationship between scientific evidence and public policy through comparative case studies in global health. Focusing on both policy successes and failures, students explore how scientific evidence has been incorporated, ignored, distorted, or misused in decision-making across different political, historical, and institutional contexts. Through analysis of health crises, government responses, media coverage, and policy interventions, the course investigates the consequences of evidence-based and evidence-deficient policymaking. Case studies include contrasting approaches to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, such as HIV denialism in South Africa and Brazil’s evidence-informed prevention and treatment policies. Students assess the political and social factors that shaped these outcomes and consider how scientific expertise can be more effectively integrated into public policy. The course develops students' ability to critically evaluate policy decisions, understand the role of science in governance, and identify lessons for improving health policy and outcomes worldwide.