Global Health Programs and Partnerships

Academic global health programs are proliferating, and global health partnerships between North American academic institutions and institutions in low- and middle-income countries are steadily increasing. This study employs surveys and key informant interviews to examine global health partnerships, and it presents a framework for success to guide the development of sustainable global health programs and partnerships with measurable, defined impact. Eighty-two North American academic institutions and 46 international partnering institutions participated in the survey. Key informant interviews were conducted with global health leaders at 15 North American academic institutions and 11 partnering international institutions. Quantitative data were analyzed using linear regression, and qualitative data were used in thematic analyses. The surveys and interviews provide evidence of mutual benefits resulting from these global health partnerships, as well as areas for further development and improvement.

Jonathan A. Muir, Jessica Farley, and Allison Osterman are research assistants with the Strategic Analysis and Research Training (START) Center at the University of Washington in Seattle. Stephen E. Hawes is director of the START Center. Keith Martin, MD, is executive director of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) in Washington, D.C. J. Stephen Morrison is senior vice president and director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS. King K. Holmes is professor of global health and medicine at the University of Washington.