Group of Study Abroad students with Dr. Teresa Johnson and Dr. Heidi Luft by waterfall in Ecudaor

UWM Center for Global Health Equity actively works through research, academics and community partners to achieve health equity and social justice among communities around the world.

Mission: Bring together multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and interprofessional scholars and practitioners to promote health equity and social justice among populations in the U.S. and around the world, by coordinating global health study abroad programs, hosting visiting international scholars, organizing conferences and programs, offering courses, certificates, and degrees in global health, and fostering global health research.


Malawi brick building with a mother carrying an infant on back - blue sky and puffy white clouds
Malawi, where students study abroad and faculty collaborate on research projects.

CGHE’s research, practice, and education programs place a priority on:

  • Improving the health and well-being of communities around the world
  • Developing and implementing solutions that require global cooperation
  • Focusing on issues that directly or indirectly affect health, and can transcend national boundaries
  • Embracing both prevention in populations and clinical care of individuals, families, and communities
  • Involving a range of disciplines, both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, within and beyond health sciences

CGHE researchers have expertise in:

  • HIV/AIDS prevention, self-management and care, support and treatment
  • Maternal, reproductive and child health
  • Gender-based violence and women’s empowerment
  • Examining and addressing social, economic and political determinants of health on a global level, with a major focus on Malawi, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and the U.S.

What is Global Health?

Global Health is an area of research and practice that focuses on creating healthy communities at home and around the world. ​

Interconnected and Interdisciplinary

Global health recognizes the interconnected nature of the health and well-being of people and the planet both locally and internationally. Addressing global health challenges requires a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. Students and practitioners can contribute to global health from any disciplinary background, not only the health professions.

Equity-driven

The opportunities to pursue health and wellness are not evenly distributed around the world or among populations. An equity approach recognizes that health is a human right and that many inequalities are preventable and unjust. We have an ethical and moral responsibility to take action.

Collaborative

Today’s global health challenges span political borders and need to be engaged through whole-system global collaboration. This requires a true partnership that embraces the knowledge, skills, and experiences of all.

Alumni Victoria Sheer & Julie Kantor in Malawi dancing in African dresses
Learn more about study abroad at UWM School of Nursing

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