Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Did you know the Global Health Institute is a small but mighty team collaborating with UW-Madison’s 21 schools and colleges to strategically link multidisciplinary talent and expertise with global partners in academia, industry, governments, and NGOs?
In just two short years, GHI has successfully implemented its new strategic vision to establish and grow a robust network of One Health Centers (OHC) and projects in Colombia, India, Mexico, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. These field sites enhance UW-Madison’s research opportunities, knowledge and technology exchange, joint funding opportunities, and the implementation of effective global health interventions.
Our OHC Network offers a framework to move research out of the lab and into real-world settings. When results are translated into action, partners immediately assess the social, cultural, political and environmental effects of each intervention. The results benefit Wisconsin as well as the world.
GHI’s first OHC was established in Medellin, Colombia with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), Abbott Laboratories, and the Ministry of Science and Technology-Colombia. Through these partnerships, OHC-Colombia developed vaccines for neglected diseases including Zika, Chikungunya, and yellow fever. The partnership also provided $1 million in research funding to UW-Madison and facilitated local research connections for eight UW investigators from engineering, veterinary sciences, pharmacy, law, and communication arts – representing truly multidisciplinary opportunities for future global health leaders to transform the way global health security challenges are viewed and approached. In addition, GHI’s OHC-Colombia is a major research partner of UW’s Migration in the America’s project researching the risk of illness and disease as people travel through the Western Hemisphere.
OHC-Colombia now serves as UW’s innovative model for scaling tangible global health results, while also providing research and educational opportunities to develop global health leaders of today and tomorrow. We are grateful to our partners like you that enable GHI to achieve new heights.
When I began the journey as GHI’s director in 2022, I wanted to expand the Wisconsin Idea worldwide and utilize a One Health approach that leverages UW-Madison’s expertise across its diverse schools and colleges for improving health for all humans, animals and plants. Our OHC Network exemplifies our dedication to innovative solutions and collaborative partnerships across academia, government, industry and NGOs. Through this network, GHI empowers UW students and researchers to navigate complex health challenges with a holistic perspective, transcending disciplinary and geographic boundaries. I am proud of the work our team is doing to ensure outcomes resonate locally and globally, benefiting communities in Wisconsin and beyond.
This giving season, please consider donating to advance our mission. Your investment touches lives close to home, wherever that may be, and around the world. Every gift, regardless of size, makes a significant difference. Donating is simple. A one-time contribution or recurring gift can be set up online here.
Gracias, and On, Wisconsin!
Jorge Osorio
Director
Global Health Institute