Why Global Health Matters

From infectious disease outbreaks to vaccine access and health equity, many of today's critical health concerns require collaboration across communities, countries, and continents. Faculty in the College of Public Health are advancing evidence-based solutions that improve health locally while contributing to better health outcomes worldwide.  

Professor (GCH) Rupali Limaye exemplifies this global impact. In addition to leading international research collaborations focused on infectious disease control, she serves on the RSV coordination team for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and has contributed to several World Health Organization advisory groups focused on immunization as well as social and behavioral science. Through these roles, she helps translate research into policies and programs that expand access to life-saving vaccines around the world. 

Drawing on these experiences in the classroom, Limaye prepares future public health leaders to think globally, collaborate across disciplines, and develop solutions for complicated health concerns with communities at the center. 

Here, she discusses the importance of global public health collaboration and the skills needed to achieve global health outcomes. 

Q: Why is global collaboration essential to advancing public health outcomes, particularly in areas like immunization? 

A: Health is local, but health is also global. Global collaboration is essential because infectious diseases do not respect borders, and require collaboration, communication, and partnership.   

Q: What unique perspectives do faculty engaged with global organizations bring to advancing solutions for complex health issues that cross national borders? 

A: The control of infectious disease requires surveillance, response, and monitoring—aspects that are all central to public health broadly and that faculty bring to the classroom. With a global lens, these aspects help shape how policy is formed, how programs are developed, and how best to engage the community in the response. Faculty engaged with global organizations also bring firsthand experience navigating diverse health systems, cultural contexts, and policy environments across countries. This global perspective helps students understand how cross-border collaboration and shared learning can inform effective solutions to complex health challenges worldwide.  

Q: What skills should future public health professionals develop if they hope to contribute to international organizations like Gavi and WHO? 

As our jobs focus on how to improve the health of the broader population, public health professionals should be open, collaborative, and learn the importance of community engagement at various scales, including local, national, and global. The people most affected by public health issues - the community - should be centered in all we do, so having an open and empathetic mindset is critical. 

Q: How does global public health work strengthen health systems and preparedness at both international and local levels? 

A: Health systems are diverse and unique. The amazing thing about global health is that it allows countries to learn from one another, and from communities to learn from each other—collectively, we have the solutions to solve the most pressing public health issues.  The world is getting hotter and smaller – we must be ready to face the latest public health challenges and to overcome them, we must be open, willing to learn, and collaborative.