Global Health Emerging Leaders

Donors and Partners:

N/A

Background:

There is a growing consensus in the global health community of the need for a new class of global health leaders well equipped to meet the complex health challenges of today and tomorrow. The recently launched Global Health Emerging Leaders initiative responds to this need by developing a new generation of critical thinkers and leaders in global health, armed with the latest information, resources, and on the ground experience in health innovation, new technologies, program management, policy analysis.

Program Objectives:

The Philippines team launched a new Global Health Emerging Leaders program in 2019 in Hangzhou, China at Zhejiang University. The program was inspired by a global health course originally launched in 2015 by the ACCESS Health Philippines Country Director Don Prisno. The intense and introductory course takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to understanding the determinants of health, from the individual determinants to global determinants of health.

The course allows students to take a deep dive into the health challenges facing their local community but ties it in to broader global health themes and activities. The course emphasizes the importance of understanding how a person’s values and skills contribute to their ability to be an advocate for better health in their community and on a global stage.

Impact:

In its first year, the Emerging Leaders program at ACCESS Health organized workshops in China, Egypt and Nigeria. Graduates from the global health course that inspired our new program have gone to become key influencers of policy and practice locally, nationally, and internationally. Many engaged in research projects that aim to reduce inequities worldwide and improve health outcomes for everyone.