DGHI Impact Report — 2023-2024

Qian Xu

Professor of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University
Shanghai, China

One of the most experienced voices on maternal and child health in China, Dr. Qian Xu has been working with Duke since 2009. She sought the help of DGHI Founding Director Michael Merson in establishing a global health program at Fudan University, where she was then associate dean of the School of Public Health. Qian has led Fudan’s Global Health Institute since it was established in 2012, and she continues to teach courses and lead research on maternal, child and reproductive health care and policy. Most recently, Qian has been collaborating with DGHI and Duke Kunshan University Professor Shenglan Tang on a project to improve access to vaccines across China. Her research is building evidence for the inclusion of new vaccines against childhood diseases in China’s national immunization program.

I am working to change

…health for women and children in China and other low- and middle-income countries. My career goal has always been to reduce maternal mortality through efforts to improve community awareness, rapid referral systems and quality maternity services in China and other low- and middle-income countries. I have witnessed China’s success in realizing the targets for reducing maternal mortality set out in the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, and I have practiced in two low-income countries through the safe motherhood program.

The biggest challenges we face

In terms of further reducing maternal mortality in low-income countries, the biggest challenges we face now are the availability of well-trained health providers and the enabling system for emergency obstetric care. In China, we also have a challenge in having the overseas experience and global health perspective to bring our work to other countries and adapt to local contexts.

It has been inspiring to see this mutual cooperation spread across our faculty and students and create new collaborative projects.

Partnering with DGHI helps us

Partnering with DGHI helps us a lot. DGHI’s support was instrumental in establishing the Global Health Institute at Fudan University, and with DGHI’s academic support and collaboration, we have successfully applied for three projects from the China-UK Global Health Support Programme since 2013. Faculty and students from the Fudan School of Public Health have traveled to DGHI for teaching and research training, and we have been able to extend our collaborations with Duke Kunshan University.

It’s important for our partners to

…understand development needs within a local context. For example, China has made achievements in reducing maternal mortality, and some best practices, such as promoting facility-based childbirth, have been recognized by international societies. We are willing to share our lessons with other countries that need it, but our academicians are lacking experience working overseas. We have learned a lot through our collaborations with DGHI about global health research and practice.

I am inspired by

…seeing the rewards of long-term collaboration. When we first launched the Global Health Institute, Professor Merson always encouraged me and shared his own experiences without reservation. It has been inspiring to see this mutual cooperation spread across our faculty and students and create new collaborative projects.

In five years, I hope

…to see even more faculty and student exchanges between DGHI and Fudan University. I also hope our current research will be implemented well, and that we can jointly develop and expand new research on safe motherhood in low-income countries.

Qian Xu

Professor of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University

Shanghai, China

One of the most experienced voices on maternal and child health in China, Dr. Qian Xu has been working with Duke since 2009. She sought the help of DGHI Founding Director Michael Merson in establishing a global health program at Fudan University, where she was then associate dean of the School of Public Health. Xu has led Fudan’s Global Health Institute since it was established in 2012, and she continues to teach courses and lead research on maternal, child and reproductive health care and policy. Most recently, Xu has been collaborating with DGHI and Duke Kunshan University Professor Shenglan Tang on a project to improve access to vaccines across China. Her research is building evidence for the inclusion of new vaccines against childhood diseases in China’s national immunization program.

I am working to change …

… health for women and children in China and other low- and middle-income countries. My career goal has always been to reduce maternal mortality through efforts to improve community awareness, rapid referral systems and quality maternity services in China and other low- and middle-income countries. I have witnessed China’s success in realizing the targets for reducing maternal mortality set out in the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, and I have practiced in two low-income countries through the safe motherhood program.

The biggest challenges we face …

In terms of further reducing maternal mortality in low-income countries, the biggest challenges we face now are the availability of well-trained health providers and the enabling system for emergency obstetric care. In China, we also have a challenge in having the overseas experience and global health perspective to bring our work to other countries and adapt to local contexts.

Partnering with DGHI helps us …

Partnering with DGHI helps us a lot. DGHI’s support was instrumental in establishing the Global Health Institute at Fudan University, and with DGHI’s academic support and collaboration, we have successfully applied for three projects from the China-UK Global Health Support Programme since 2013. Faculty and students from the Fudan School of Public Health have traveled to DGHI for teaching and research training, and we have been able to extend our collaborations with Duke Kunshan University.

It’s important for our partners to …

… understand development needs within a local context. For example, China has made achievements in reducing maternal mortality, and some best practices, such as promoting facility-based childbirth, have been recognized by international societies. We are willing to share our lessons with other countries that need it, but our academicians are lacking experience working overseas. We have learned a lot through our collaborations with DGHI about global health research and practice.

I am inspired by …

… seeing the rewards of long-term collaboration. When we first launched the Global Health Institute, Professor Merson always encouraged me and shared his own experiences without reservation. It has been inspiring to see this mutual cooperation spread across our faculty and students and create new collaborative projects.

In five years, I hope …

… to see even more faculty and student exchanges between DGHI and Fudan University. I also hope our current research will be implemented well, and that we can jointly develop and expand new research on safe motherhood in low-income countries.