IH

Department of International Health
The Department of International Health seeks to improve the health and well-being of underserved populations in low and middle-income countries through the education and training of our students, as well as through research, technical assistance, and service.  The department strives to:
  • Cultivate an active, practice-based learning community to develop leaders capable of creating positive change in public health, and
  • Empoiwer citizens, governments, and organizations to improve lives and mitigate the effects of poverty using evidence-based policies, programs, and advocacy.
The department has a strong emphasis on issues related to infectious diseases (particularly HIV/AIDS, malaria, and pneumonia), management and finance, reproductive health, maternal health, child survival, policy analysis, and research and evaluation methods.  

Through the Center for Global Health and Development (CGHD), faculty members are involved in major research projects designed to identify and resolve economic, clinical, and behavioral issues affecting health in more than 24 countries; the majority of these activities are located in Africa and Asia.  There are specific research programs on child survival, the social and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and orphans and vulnerable children.  CGHD is the host institution of the BUSPH/Harvard Medical School WHO collaborating Center for Pharmaceutical Policy. The research of the Center can be found throughout the IH curriculum, where the faculty draw upon their own scientific activities to enrich the classroom experience by providing examples of current, relevant, and applied research in international health. 

With an active, multidisciplinary faculty involved in teaching, research, and service, and a large and diverse student body, the Department of International Health offers both mid-career and entering public health professionals an opportunity to engage in a high-quality educational program that will prepare them to address the needs of populations worldwide.