The global health enterprise has improved the well-being of people. However, structural inequities persist within the sector. This contributes to inequality and wholly insufficient impacts to address the Sustainable Development Goals.
Power imbalances are embedded across funding, political power, management capacity and technical capabilities The current pandemic which has highlighted, not created these inequities, is an opportunity to truly acknowledge these gaps and build forward better to rectify them. This must include ensuring that partnerships between institutions in high income countries (HICs) and those in low and low middle-income countries (LLMICs) are equitable, effective, and that most of the benefits from those arrangements accrue to the LLMIC institution. Collaborations rooted in respect, honesty, equity, and commitment to outcomes that are aligned with the needs of the LLMIC partners are essential to reforming global health. Such partnerships, across sectors, will be much more effective in addressing the development challenges before us.
We the undersigned support the following actions the global health community should collaborate on to improve the health of people and the planet in an equitable and sustainable manner:
HIC institutions should provide free access to their academic libraries to their LLMIC partners
HICs should share their curricula with LLMIC partners, free of charge
Where possible, HICs should provide to their LLMIC partners free compatible computers, software and affordable, and reliable 3G broadband as requested
When students from HICs are participating in experiential learning opportunities in an LLMIC institution, agreements should be in place that provide tangible benefits sought the host institution. Host institutions should be compensated for any human resources and other assets utilized by hosting the HIC students. HIC institutions could provide their own trainers to build capacity in the host institution as directed by the host. This includes strengthening LLMIC management capacity.
Staff in LLMIC should be fully compensated for training students from HICs or supporting HIC led research projects
HIC institutions should provide training and mentorship in grant writing and grant applications
Research questions must be co-created in collaboration with the host institution/community/country.
HIC institutions should provide training in article writing and ensure fair and equitable authorship of research papers between the scientists from LLMICs and HICs who participated in the project
Research findings must be shared with equity, fairness and respect of the work provided between all collaborators from LLMICs and HICs who participate in the research
A plan to disseminate the research findings should be part of the design of the study proposal.
Sign the Call to Action
Current Signatories
Agnes Binagwaho, MD, M(Ped), PhD, Vice Chancellor, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
Pascale Allotey, MMedSci, PhD, Director, United Nations University International Institute for Global Health
Abdellatif Zerga, PhD, Director, Pan African Institute of Water and Energy Sciences, Algeria
Eugene Sangano, MBA, MSc, Executive Director, Alliance for Healthy Communities Global, Kigali-Rwanda
Anna Mia Ekstrom, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Keith Martin, MD, PC, Executive Director, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, USA
Lyndsay Baines, PhD, Head of School (Health and Social Care), Anglia Ruskin University, UK
Menelas Nkeshimana, MBBS, MMed, MSc., Head of Department of Accident & Emergency, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali, Rwanda
Richard Wamai, PhD, Associate Professor, Northeastern University, Kenya
Judy Khanyola, RN, Chair, Center for Nursing Midwifery, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
Zoe Mullan, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Global Health, UK
Elson Romeu Farias, MD, Director, Secretary of State for Health, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Joyce L. Sanchez, MC, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
Nehemiah Ndubi Okerio, MD, Sales Agent, Platinum Credit Bank Ltd, Kenya
Zahidul Quayyum, MD, Professor, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Farhad Ali Khattak, MD, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Khyber College of Dentistry, Pakistan
Olayemi Oluwadamilola, MD, Executive Director, Medibeth Global Health Center, Nigeria
James C. Hudspeth, MD, Assistant Program Director, Boston University, United States
Siddhesh Zadey, BSMS, MScGH, Senior Research Aide, Duke University School of Medicine, United States
Hoang Thi Hai Van, MD, PhD, Chair Department of Global Health, School of Preventative Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam
Brigid Cakouros, DrPH, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Tesfaye Dagne, MPH, Researcher, Ethiopia
Judit Kumuthini, PhD, Senior Researcher, University of Western Cape, South Africa
Kristina Talbert-Slagle, PhD, Assistant Professor, Yale University, United States
Mary Elizabeth S. Nelson, DNP, Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Wisconsin, United States
Tom Haig, Communications Director, International Rehabilitation Forum, United States
Andrew J. Haig, MD, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, United States
Miriam Chun, MSW, Executive Director, International Rehabilitation Forum, United States
Laurenie G. Louisssaint, MD, Icahn school of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States
Sue Campbell, MS, Lecturer, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Georges Alfred KI-ZERBO, MD, MPH, Head WHO Office at African Union and UNECA, Ethiopia
Moumouni Maiga, MD, Physician, Health Ministry, Burkina Faso
Nadia Sam-Agudu, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Baltimore, United States
Antonio Paulo, MD, MSc, Medical Doctor, Ministry of Health, Angola
Nadinga Cedric Ismael, MD, CMA de PAMA, Burkina Faso
Rachel Hall-Clifford, PhD, MPH, Asst. Professor of Human Health, Sociology, and Global Health, Emory University, United States
Eleanor Wiles, MPH, Public Health Researcher, Milken Institute School of Public Health, United States
Antoine Ft Dopavogui, MD, MPH, Regional Coordinator PASA 2, Expertise France, Guinee
James C. Hudspeth, MD, Co-Chair, Education Committee, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Boston University, United States
Atiene Sagay, MD, FRCOG, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Jos, Nigeria
Yannis Reissis, MD, General Surgery Resident, VCU, United States
Shahanaz Chowdhury, PhD, Associate Professor and Head, Dept. of Community Medicine, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Bangladesh
Felix Holl, MSc, Research Associate, DigiHealth Institute, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Matthew Nicasio, MPH, Public Health Director, Hillside Health Care International, Belize
Michele Barry, MD, FACP, Senior Associate Dean of Global Health, Stanford University, United States
Eunice Philip, MPH, PhD Scholar, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Ireland
Andre-Jacques Neusy, MD, DTM&H, Senior Director, THEnet-Training for Health Equity Network, United States
Matthew Painschab, MD, Assistant Professor, UNC Project, Malawi
Suzanne Sarfaty, MD, Assistant Dean of Medical Education, Boston University, United States
Devina Buckshee, MPH Candidate, Journalist, Yale University, United States
Rafael Perez-Escamilla, PhD, Professor, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Mohd Dar, Research Associate, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Sydney Steel, Ms, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Abi Kelkai, MPH ’23, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Anher Pinky, Student, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Dharmi, Dr, Student, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Jessica Ainooson, MPH Student, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Abinet Aklilu, MD, MPH ’22 and Research Fellow, Yale School of Public Health, United States
Gabriella Amini, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, United States
Madelon Finkel, PhD, Professor of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, United States
Eleanor Reid, MD, PhD, Attending Physician, Assistant Professor, Yale University School of Medicine, United States
Mary Hearst, MPH, PhD, Professor, St. Catherine University, United States
Barbara Kamholz, MD, Clinical Prof of Psychiatry, UCSF, United States
Jennifer Beard, PhD, MPH, Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Global Health, United States
Martin Nyaaba Adokiya, BSc, MPH, PhD, Vice-Dean, School of Public Health, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Olayinka Ariba, B.sc/Ed, Msc, Doctoral Researcher, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Gojjam Limenih, PhD, Graduate Student, Western University, Canada
Charles Larson, MD, Director, Global Health Programs, McGill University, Canada
Sheila Klassen, MD, Lecturer, Harvard Medical School, United States
Jennifer Hatfield, PhD, Professor, University of Calgary, Canada
Dr. Rem, MD, MSc, Junior Clinical Fellow, NHS, Palestine
Cristiany Miguel Paulo, MSc, Monitor Clinical Trials, University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands
Eiman Mahmoud, Professor, Global Health Program Director, Touro University, United States
Huda E El-Zein, HBSc. CCRP(c), Research Coordinator, Diagnostic Imaging, SickKids Hospital, Canada
Marcel Wangraoua, PhD, Director General, BEITES International, Burkina Faso