About the Center

338

Center Members

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19+

Schools, colleges, and units engaged across 3 U‑M campuses

45

Partner institutions + organizations in 17 countries

An interdisciplinary approach

The University of Michigan has a long tradition of international engagement and individual global health programs that have often been centered within its numerous colleges and institutes. The Center for Global Health Equity aims to enhance the ongoing work of these existing efforts by fostering connectivity to increase cross-campus initiatives and programming. Global health leaders from across our academic units provided input to help define the Center's thematic priorities and overall approach to impact.

The Center brings together faculty, staff, and students from across the U-M community with external partners in pursuit of novel global health solutions that can positively impact individuals and communities in low- and middle-income settings. Inspired by a catalytic gift—matched by the university—from Dr. Tachi and Leslie Yamada, the Center focuses on collaboration for meaningful change.

Download the Center's Inaugural Impact Report

How We Approach Impact

  • Moving beyond traditional academic measures of success
  • Focusing on solution-driven initiatives for positive change
  • Valuing health equity—the idea that everyone has fair, just opportunities to live as healthy a life as possible
  • Embracing genuine collaboration—valuing local partnerships, leveraging expertise across the university, finding synergy
  • Promoting bidirectional learning and capacity sharing
  • Demonstrating cultural humility
  • Operating with accountability and transparency
Rwanda Butaro District Reviewing teaching clinic materials

Meaningful change requires connecting research with public policy, education and training, and local programs and healthcare systems to impact global health equity outcomes in positive ways.

Thematic Priorities

Based on potential for impact, institutional strengths, and perceived needs, Center leaders and stakeholders have identified four primary themes to guide initial collaborations and efforts.

  • Strengthening systems to improve health and health equity, including creative approaches with the private sector (human resource development, collaborative care models, supply-chain, and access)
  • Informing policy and programming related to social and environmental determinants of health (climate change, food security, education, health economics, and economic development)
  • Developing technical solutions for health equity (artificial intelligence and data science approaches, telehealth tools, and systems)
  • Empowering women as effectors of health for themselves, their families, and their communities
Blood sampling for community health survey, Witwatersrand, South Africa