Health inequity is one of the defining issues of the 21st century. The Community for Global Health Equity brings transdisciplinary solutions to complex problems that affect population health-child survival, infectious disease, non-communicable disease and refugee health.
“The mission of our community is to reduce the sources and effects of inequity, and promote health and well-being among under-resourced populations around the world,” said Pavani Ram, co-leader of the Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity.
“Because of the different perspectives and strengths of faculty from all over the university — not only in the health sciences, but also in disciplines not routinely engaged in global health concerns but with the capacity for developing transformative solutions — we will have the ability to influence the influencers, the people who can take our solutions and implement them on the ground.”
The community will address challenges such as access to sanitation for women and girls, exposure to air pollution among neonates, getting essential drugs to low-resource communities and access to sufficient quantities of high-quality food.
“The philosophy that underpins our Community of Excellence is very much about community-based and community-led efforts,” says co-leader Samina Raja. “We really think about what the need is on the ground and focus on developing solutions that make sense in that community.”
Co-leaders of the Global Health Equity Community of Excellence are Li Lin, professor of industrial and systems engineering; Raja, associate professor of urban and regional planning; Ram, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health; and Korydon Smith, associate professor of architecture.
