The Pan-University Network for Global Health: framework for collaboration and review of global health needs.
In the current United Nations efforts to plan for post 2015-Millennium Development Goals, global partnership to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has become a critical goal to effectively respond to the complex global challenges of which inequity in health remains a persistent challenge. Building capacity in terms of well-equipped local researchers and service providers is a key to bridging the inequity in global health. Launched by Penn State University in 2014, the Pan University Network for Global Health responds to this need by bridging researchers at more than 10 universities across the globe. In this paper we outline our framework for international and interdisciplinary collaboration, as well the rationale for our research areas, including a review of these two themes. After its initial meeting, the network has established two central thematic priorities: 1) urbanization and health and 2) the intersection of infectious diseases and NCDs. The urban population in the global south will nearly double in 25 years (approx. 2 billion today to over 3.5 billion by 2040). Urban population growth will have a direct impact on global health, and this growth will be burdened with uneven development and the persistence of urban spatial inequality, including health disparities. The NCD burden, which includes conditions such as hypertension, stroke, and diabetes, is outstripping infectious disease in countries in the global south that are considered to be disproportionately burdened by infectious diseases. Addressing these two priorities demands an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional model to stimulate innovation and synergy that will influence the overall framing of research questions as well as the integration and coordination of research.
Research Associate, Pan-University Network for Global Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. winchester@psu.edu.
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Winchester
Health Policy and Administration, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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BeLue
Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Oni
Department of Biological Anthropology, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Bresigau, Germany.
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Wittwer-Backofen
Molecular Genetics, Center of Advanced Studies, Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India.
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Deobagkar
Health Promotion and Institutional HIV/AIDS Programme, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.
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Onya
Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados.
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Samuels
Departments of Sociology, Anthropology, and Demography, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Matthews
Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Stone
Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Airhihenbuwa
D057191:Capacity Building / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D019058:Community Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014943:Global Health / Q000592:standards*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000639:trends; D014480:United Nations / Q000458:organization & administration
Collaboration non-communicable disease; Global health; Infectious disease; Network; Urban health