Many successful global collaborations begin with two simple steps. The first is to gather the right people. The second is to step back and listen.
I was reminded of the power of this approach in June of this year, when our institute convened two dozen of our partners at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya. We organize such meetings regularly as a venue for researchers across a region to connect, discuss common challenges and priorities, and explore new areas for collaboration. And I am always struck by the thoughtful and productive conversations these meetings spark.
At our meeting in June, one of the prime topics was the urgent need to study and counteract the health impacts of climate change. Our partners, many of whom work in places disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate shifts, keenly understand the need for a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the climate crisis, and many are already adopting innovative ways to accomplish this. Our colleagues at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, for example, shared how they are integrating a climate focus across their curriculum, ensuring the next generation of East African clinicians and researchers have a solid foundation to address the health impacts of a warming world.
This is just one example of how our partners are leading the way in addressing complex health challenges such as climate change. In our 2023-24 Impact Report, you can read about many others. In this report, we highlight nine of our outstanding partners, who are engaged in highly impactful work from Sri Lanka to Tanzania to Peru, making progress on critical issues such as pediatric cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental health.
While each of these partners’ experiences are unique, there is a common thread that runs through them all. In their work to achieve greater health equity for their communities, these clinicians and researchers demonstrate remarkable creativity and resilience in the face of enormous challenges. They have a clear vision of the change they seek, and they routinely find creative ways to overcome the many obstacles in their path.
We share these stories not to claim credit for our partners’ accomplishments, but to illustrate an important truth about how our institute works to advance health equity around the world. Our partners do not need us to tell them their problems, or how to fix them. What they need most from us are the resources and support to accelerate and amplify their successes. By committing first to listen, our researchers are able to provide the timely knowledge and training our partners are asking for to help them create sustainable change.
I am so grateful for these partners, and for the hundreds of DGHI faculty, staff and students who work every day to build and sustain such rich collaborations. This work would also not be possible without the support of our funders and donors, who provide invaluable resources that allow us to be present and engaged in countries around the world. The inspirational stories you will read in this report are a direct product of this investment of time and trust, and we are honored to share them.
Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH
Director, Duke Global Health institute
Many successful global collaborations begin with two simple steps. The first is to gather the right people. The second is to step back and listen.
I was reminded of the power of this approach in June of this year, when our institute convened two dozen of our partners at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya. We organize such meetings regularly as a venue for researchers across a region to connect, discuss common challenges and priorities, and explore new areas for collaboration. And I am always struck by the thoughtful and productive conversations these meetings spark.
At our meeting in June, one of the prime topics was the urgent need to study and counteract the health impacts of climate change. Our partners, many of whom work in places disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate shifts, keenly understand the need for a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the climate crisis, and many are already adopting innovative ways to accomplish this. Our colleagues at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, for example, shared how they are integrating a climate focus across their curriculum, ensuring the next generation of East African clinicians and researchers have a solid foundation to address the health impacts of a warming world.
This is just one example of how our partners are leading the way in addressing complex health challenges such as climate change. In our 2023-24 Impact Report, you can read about many others. In this report, we highlight nine of our outstanding partners, who are engaged in highly impactful work from Sri Lanka to Tanzania to Peru, making progress on critical issues such as pediatric cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental health.
While each of these partners’ experiences are unique, there is a common thread that runs through them all. In their work to achieve greater health equity for their communities, these clinicians and researchers demonstrate remarkable creativity and resilience in the face of enormous challenges. They have a clear vision of the change they seek, and they routinely find creative ways to overcome the many obstacles in their path.
We share these stories not to claim credit for our partners’ accomplishments, but to illustrate an important truth about how our institute works to advance health equity around the world. Our partners do not need us to tell them their problems, or how to fix them. What they need most from us are the resources and support to accelerate and amplify their successes. By committing first to listen, our researchers are able to provide the timely knowledge and training our partners are asking for to help them create sustainable change.
I am so grateful for these partners, and for the hundreds of DGHI faculty, staff and students who work every day to build and sustain such rich collaborations. This work would also not be possible without the support of our funders and donors, who provide invaluable resources that allow us to be present and engaged in countries around the world. The inspirational stories you will read in this report are a direct product of this investment of time and trust, and we are honored to share them.
Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH
Director, Duke Global Health institute
