Global Health at the Faculty of Medicine

Global Health at the Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine’s global health programming fosters meaningful partnerships and drives impactful global health initiatives that support and advance health efforts in communities worldwide.

Global Health programming at the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) is a central component of the faculty’s internationalization efforts, delivered through the International and Global Health Office (IGHO).

Global health at the FoM aims to promote health and health equity through research, education, public health, healthcare, and capacity building collaborations, particularly with institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), emphasizing reciprocity and shared benefits. 

Vision

A vibrant, multidisciplinary community of FoM faculty members and learners that contributes to the improvement of health and health equity, globally.

Mission

To serve as a knowledge hub and facilitator of global health learning and experiences for all FoM faculty members and learners, and to contribute to the FoM’s mission to expand its global health leadership.

Values

  • Equity and fairness 
  • Authentic and sustainable partnerships 
  • Capacity strengthening and knowledge sharing 
  • Interdisciplinarity

Objectives

Partnerships: Ensure impactful and equitable global health partnerships that adhere to the Brocher Declaration Principles.

Education: Contribute to global health educational strategies within the Faculty of Medicine and support experiential learning opportunities.  

Knowledge Exchange: Act as a global health hub, facilitating the exchange of ideas and collaborative activities.

Understanding Global Health

Global health focuses on improving health and health equity worldwide. It emphasizes transnational issues, determinants and solutions, including challenges that cannot be addressed by one nation alone. Historically, a core aspect of global health has been its focus on populations in low— and middle—income countries (LMICs). This stems from global health’s roots in public health and international health, recognizing the disproportionate burden of disease and ill health common in LMICs.

As the field of global health evolved, it underscored the importance of population health approaches, the interconnected causes of poor health (e.g. migration, climate change, etc.), and the critical need for equitable global health partnerships and practices. At the same time, medical schools have expanded the concept and practice of global health to include health inequities facing vulnerable and marginalized populations of high-income countries, and their determinants and solutions, under a social accountability framework. This shift coincides with the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (2015 to 2030), which have been adopted and are reportable by all countries.

global health

The Brocher Declaration

In 2021, the University of Ottawa became the first Canadian university to endorse the Brocher Declaration—a set of principles intended to guide policy on short-term global health work, which too often fails to consider the needs of host communities and can cause more harm than good.

The Brocher Declaration provides a key guiding framework for the Faculty of Medicine’s existing strategic priorities and programming for global health. The Faculty’s partnership strategy is also guided by this framework.

Dr. Manisha Kulkarni

The Declaration endorses the following ethical concepts to steer educational exchanges, research trips and other global health activities, typically done by teams from wealthy nations visiting locations considered low- or middle-income:

  1. Mutual partnership with bidirectional input and learning  
  2. Empowered host country and community define needs and activities  
  3. Sustainable programs and capacity building  
  4. Compliance with applicable laws, ethical standards, and code of conduct  
  5. Humility, cultural sensitivity, and respect for all involved  
  6. Accountability for actions (Prasad et al., 2022)

Reference:

Prasad, S., Aldrink, M., Compton, B., Lasker, J., Donkor, P., Weakliam, D., Rowthorn, V., Mantey, E., Martin, K., Omaswa, F., Benzian, H., Clagua-Guerra, E., Maractho, E., Agyire-Tettey, K., Crisp, N., & Balasubramaniam, R. (2022). Global Health Partnerships and the Brocher Declaration: Principles for Ethical Short-Term Engagements in Global Health. Annals of global health, 88(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.3577

Governance

Global Health Advisory Committee

Chair: Dr. David Ponka

The Global Health Advisory Committee (GHAC) supports the Faculty of Medicine’s (FoM) global health initiatives in achieving its strategic goals and objectives by providing guidance, insight and expertise to enhance current programming and identify new opportunities in  education, research and community engagement.

IGHO Human Library

Clinical Global Health Council

Chair: Dr. Yvonne Ying

Vice Chair: Dr. Wesley Rajaleelan

The Clinical Global Health Council (CGHC) aims to promote a comprehensive understanding of global health and health equity while integrating the Faculty of Medicine's global health and social accountability activities across clinical departments. 

Special Initiatives: FAARE Taskforce

Co-chairs: Dr. Alison Krentel and Dr. Fawad Akbari

The Fairness and Antiracism to Enhance Academic Research, Partnerships and Education in Global Health (FAARE) Taskforce sought to make recommendations for a faculty development strategy to ensure equity in global health across FoM partnerships, research and education.

Final Report for the Taskforce on Fairness and Antiracism to Enhance Academic Research, Partnership and Education in Global Health (FAARE) (PDF, 2.39 MB)