UofM School of Public Health Amplifies its Reach
First-In-the-Nation Public Health Diplomacy Lab to Result in Global Impact
July 12, 2024 — The School of Public Health at the University of Memphis is launching a Public Health Diplomacy Lab—the first of its kind in the country—as it joins an international alliance of institutions dedicated to protecting human rights, sustainability and access to education.
These local and global strides connecting the UofM with partners near and far is part of the School of Public Health’s (SPH) strategy to address health issues and access to health care, gaining insight from others while amplifying the reach of curriculum taught at the UofM.
The COVID-19 pandemic in particular underscored the inequalities related to healthcare access, especially among populations living in under-resourced settings. The Public Health Diplomacy Lab will focus on concepts and theories that can be applied at the intersection of international relations, global health and policy, bringing together multiple stakeholders including governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and academic and research institutions.
Health issues such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance and the impact of climate change threaten communities around the globe. At the same, the world has become more interconnected. As the newest member of United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), the School of Public Health joins over 1,600 other institutions from 156 countries in making healthcare the No. 1 priority, starting with college campuses, in classrooms and in communities. The Public Health Diplomacy lab is led by Ashish Joshi, dean of the School of Public Health, and involves other collaborators including Marian Levy and Xinhua Yu, also with SPH, and Beverly A Tsacoyianis, Diana Ruggiero and Gretchen Peterson with the College of Arts & Sciences.
The School of Public Health is dedicated to becoming impactful in the community and through its partnership with more than 200 community-based organizations, each addressing several sustainable development goals such as No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality and Clean Water and Sanitation.
The SPH’s commitment to community engagement helped earn the school the 2024 ASPPH Harrison C Spencer award earlier this year.
Role of Public Health Diplomacy in the 21st century
Health diplomacy utilizes health-related issues to build relationships, foster cooperation and promote peace and stability between nations. It brings together a variety of stakeholders for a coordinated response in areas that affect public health all around the globe. Health diplomacy focuses on promoting health equity by addressing social determinants of health, promoting for fair and equitable access to healthcare resources.
Along with other institutions, the UofM serve as an incubator of new ideas and solutions for the many global challenges faced today, ensuring that the energy and innovation coming from students is harnessed and widely shared.
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