Harvard Global Health Institute

08/27/2026

This June, our Scholarly Working Group, Food Systems, Vulnerability, and Adolescent Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Urgent Call for Integrated Action, led by Wafaie Fawzi, co-sponsored the third annual Conference on Adolescent Health in Sub-Saharan Africa (CAH-SSA) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Organized around the theme “Showcasing Community-Driven Adolescent and Youth Health Sustainable Interventions,” the conference brought together experts and initiatives working across adolescent health research, capacity-building, stakeholder engagement, and the translation of research findings into feasible, context-specific policy action.

As part of the conference, the School Meals Working Group convened a dedicated session highlighting ongoing research on school feeding, food systems, and adolescent nutrition across Sub-Saharan Africa. The session featured presentations from the ARISE Network’s ongoing studies and country programs, alongside discussions on strengthening the evidence base to inform policy and practice.

The conference was hosted by the Africa Research, Implementation Science, and Education (ARISE) Network, a collaborative network of 22 member institutions from ten Sub-Saharan African countries, together with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health in Germany.

Learn more about the Scholarly Working Group and read their BMJ Open protocol paper on this topic: https://bit.ly/45NXbcT

08/25/2026

How can global health leaders build the power needed to create lasting change?

Global health challenges from climate change and emerging infectious diseases to health inequities and fragile health systems are too complex for any one person or institution to address alone.

At the recent HGHI LEAD Fellowship alumni workshop, 16 women leaders from across regions and sectors came together with Professor Julie Battilana to explore how power operates, how influence is built, and how leaders can turn relationships into collective action.

Four key lessons emerged:
→ Understand how power operates within a system
→ Challenge existing approaches and align people and resources around a shared purpose
→ Balance people-centered and task-oriented leadership
→ Recognize the influence of informal networks and relationships

At the heart of the conversation was a powerful reminder that lasting change is rarely the work of one person alone. It is built through relationships, networks, and shared purpose.

Thank you to Julie Battilana and our LEAD Fellows for this thoughtful and engaging conversation.

Read the full article and explore the recommended resources:

08/21/2026

New in global health this week: A record outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the United States is exposing how vulnerable public health systems can become when the capacity to detect, trace and contain disease is weakened.

More than 15,700 cases have been confirmed, with the outbreak largely linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico. But experts warn that funding cuts, staffing shortages and disruptions to coordination across local, state, federal and international health systems have made the response more difficult.

The outbreak raises important questions about what happens when the systems designed to protect public health are stretched thin.

Read the full article from NPR: https://n.pr/4gjpnsQ

From state and local food-safety response to the federal health agencies that fund that work, a record-breaking year for cyclosporiasis cases runs up against the Trump administration's cuts last year.

08/19/2026

“We must break the cycle of a lack of accountability and find the right balance between the speed of AI adoption and the rigor needed to ensure these technologies are safe, effective, and responsive to the communities they are intended to serve.”

— Louise Ivers MD, MPH, HGHI Faculty Director

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in health systems around the world, the critical questions are no longer only about what AI can do, but who governs it, who benefits from it, and what it takes to make it work in practice.

This past spring, the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI), in partnership with the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, convened a four-part virtual discussion series bringing together experts from academia, government, multilateral organizations, philanthropy, technology, and civil society.

Across conversations on governance, partnerships, evaluation, and implementation, speakers emphasized that AI in global health cannot be approached as a purely technical challenge. Its value will depend on whether technologies are shaped by local priorities, evaluated in real-world contexts, and integrated in ways that strengthen the health systems and communities they are intended to serve.

Read the full reflection from the AI in Global Health Coffee Session Series: https://bit.ly/4ijdxRX

Across a four-part virtual discussion series convened by the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) in partnership with the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School this spring, experts from academia, multilateral organizations, government, philanthropy, and civil society examined the opportun...

08/18/2026

This summer, nine Harvard undergraduates spent eight weeks immersed in global health research through the Harvard Global Health Institute’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) program.

Working alongside faculty, researchers, clinicians, and partner organizations across the Boston area, our 2026 SURGH cohort explored a wide range of global health challenges from antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases to mental health, urban health, health systems, cardiovascular disease, health equity, and prevention.

The summer culminated in the Harvard Summer Undergraduate Research Village (HSURV) Poster Session, where students had the opportunity to share their research, reflect on their experiences, and celebrate all they accomplished over eight weeks.

We are incredibly grateful to our partner organizations, mentors, faculty, and research teams for welcoming our students and supporting their growth throughout the summer. Their mentorship and collaboration made this experience possible.

👏 Congratulations to our 2026 SURGH cohort:
Mieti Adi, Nadia Borja, Ana Cabrera Antkowiak, Lia Galindo, Marvel Hanna, John Kim, Merissa Lawrence, Jia M., Nafisa Zaman

Read the full article to learn more about this year’s SURGH cohort and hear directly about their research experiences:

This summer, nine Harvard undergraduates spent eight weeks immersed in global health research through the Harvard Global Health Institute’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) program, working with Harvard faculty, researchers, clinicians, and partner organizations across the Bo...

08/17/2026

📣 We are pleased to announce the Harvard Global Health Institute’s 2026–2027 cohort of Scholarly Working Groups.

Entering its third year, the program brings together Harvard faculty, researchers, and practitioners across disciplines to advance collaborative research addressing complex global health challenges.

This year’s three groups will focus on:
• Student mental health led by John Naslund
• Housing and health security in Arctic communities led by N. Stuart Harris MD MFA, John P Holdren, and Henry Lee
• Postpartum hemorrhage in low-resource settings led by Sarah J Hanson

Together, these groups reflect the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in generating evidence, informing policy, strengthening health systems, and improving health outcomes globally.

Read the full announcement:

New faculty-led working groups will examine university student mental health across cultures, explore housing and health security in Arctic communities, and advance lifesaving postpartum hemorrhage care in low-resource settings.

08/14/2026

New in global health this week: Scientists in the UK have conducted the first human trial of a vaccine designed to work without refrigeration, raising hopes for reaching communities where reliable electricity and cold-chain infrastructure remain a challenge.

The reformulated tetanus-diphtheria vaccine uses trehalose, a sugar inspired by “resurrection plants,” to remain stable at room temperature. In a trial of 60 adults, it was found to be safe and produced immune responses comparable to two established vaccines.

If larger trials confirm these results, fridge-free vaccines could make immunisation easier to transport, store and deliver in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach communities.

Read the full article from Gavi here: https://bit.ly/4qkkQuX

Unreliable electricity makes it hard to keep vaccines at the right temperature – this development could change that.

07/31/2026

New in global health this week: The Americas have the tools to eliminate HIV as a public health threat, but expanding equitable access to prevention, testing, and treatment remains essential to reaching that goal.

Speaking at AIDS 2026, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Jarbas Barbosa emphasized that innovations such as oral and long-acting injectable PrEP, HIV self-testing, and rapid diagnostics must be paired with strong political commitment, sustainable investment, and community partnerships to ensure they reach everyone who needs them.

Read the full article from PAHO here: https://bit.ly/4w5aU9V

PAHO Director calls for expanded access to innovations such as oral and injectable PrEP, rapid testing, and HIV self-testing, while strengthening early diagnosis and timely treatment initiation to advance HIV elimination.

07/29/2026

What does a career in global health look like? For Anika Liv Christensen '26, it began by asking questions. Through HGHI's Summer Internship Program, she explored the intersection of climate change, infectious disease, and global health while conducting independent research on plague in Madagascar with Pivot Works, Inc. The experience also introduced her to key conversations shaping the field today, including the importance of equity and decolonizing global health.

Now the recipient of the undergraduate poster award at HGHI's 2026 Student Global Health Research Showcase, Anika will continue her research this fall as a Fulbright Scholar at the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. Along the way, she has embraced the opportunity to blend her interests in science and music, continuing her research while pursuing her passion for choral music in Leipzig.

Read more about Anika's journey:

Recently named the undergraduate poster winner at the Harvard Global Health Institute’s (HGHI) 2026 Student Global Health Research Showcase, and a soon-to-be Fulbright Scholar heading to Germany this fall, Anika Christensen ’26 is poised to tackle some of the world’s most pressing health crise...

07/24/2026

New in global health this week: As funding cuts threaten the development of treatments for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, researchers in South Africa are pioneering new approaches to drug discovery and manufacturing that could reshape the future of global health.

An analysis in Think Global Health highlights how locally developed innovations, including AI-powered drug discovery tools, advanced manufacturing technologies, and platform-based biotechnology, are helping reduce reliance on high-income countries while strengthening research capacity across Africa.

Read the full article from Think Global Health here: https://bit.ly/4fvdKhZ

South African biomedical researchers are spearheading new approaches to catalyze drug discovery and manufacturing