Building on the combined strengths of its two predecessors (CSIH and CCGHR), CAGH has delivered a diverse program of activities in Canada and across the global south with an emphasis on equitable partnerships with individuals and institutions.
Our approach to global health relied on:
- Knowledge translation
- Capacity strengthening
- Networking
- Collaboration and partnerships
CAGH provided a platform for education, learning, training, mentoring, advocacy and career growth in global health for its members and stakeholders.
With a clearly defined mandate, mission, vision and strategic directions CAGH benefited from a long history of using equity-based principles for global health research and practice, improving local capacity results for greater impact, and contributing to strengthening health systems through our global partnerships and networks.
CAGH advanced the SDGs in Canada and globally by convening stakeholders, and communities for knowledge generation, exchange and action on priority global health issues.
With a commitment to gender equality we supported global advocacy efforts, such as Women in Global Health, and bring recognition to Canada’s women leaders in Global Health.
Partnerships with universities in the global south were established to continue building capacity for global health research and knowledge exchange.
The University Advisory Council (UAC) served as a pan-Canadian platform to move the global health equity agenda forward in all aspects of teaching, research and service. It supports training activities on the CCGHR Principles for Global Health Research and conducts research on scaling up the principles.
Our international projects (past and present) focused on capacity-building for health systems strengthening, where our teams of international and local experts made meaningful contributions to their countries’ health systems.
In Canada, we carried out programming on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, with a special focus on the realities of people with lived experience. We promoted awareness of these issues with the general public and targeted populations on significant days and at key events. Through our Knowledge to Action program, we built capacity for implementation science that ensured continuous cooperation between researchers and practitioners to improve program effectiveness.
The range of programming supported by CAGH enabled the organization to house the Secretariat for Health Systems Global, a like-minded global health organization, until October 2023.