Institutional partnerships in global health

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The attainment of better health outcomes in many parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is hampered by a lack of qualified healthcare workers, and limited access to high quality educational opportunities, such as continued professional development. This is further compounded by a dearth of trained faculty, and often inadequate university facilities, particularly information technology, laboratory and library infrastructure. There is now renewed interest in the opportunities presented through a range of north‐north and south‐south institutional health partnerships, involving universities, research organisations, hospitals, the private sector and civil society, to overcome these challenges and address the major global health issues of today. The UK has a rich tradition of international health partnerships with the developing world and the 2007 Crisp Review by the former chief executive of the NHS identified ‘the need for better coordination and more strategic partnerships, to harness all the enthusiasm and realise the full potential of the UK’s experience’. 1 The universities’ tripartite strength in research, education and healthcare delivery, coupled with their unique ability to foster innovative solutions and provide access to a highly trained pool of health workers, mean that they are uniquely placed to forge sustainable partnerships with institutions in the global south. Benefits include access to better library and laboratory facilities; improved training and career opportunities for local researchers and faculty; and enhanced possibilities for publication, dissemination and translation of research into policy. The key role of university partnerships in individual and institutional capacity building has been recognised through multiple new funding schemes supported by the Wellcome Trust, European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Doris Duke, US National Institutes of Health Fogarty programme and others.