Grant: Doctoral Research Award - Prize: Knowledge Translation Supplement

Research shows that eliminating two-thirds of child mortality and three-quarters of maternal mortality would be possible if only we knew how to better govern global health so that existing solutions were fully implemented. Innovative approaches to governance are clearly necessary, but our understanding of the factors that shape health decision-making at the intersection of national and global levels is currently limited. This study will examine global health governance and its impact on national health systems to inform strategies that maximize available knowledge and resources. Drawing on multiple disciplines, theories and methods, I will: 1) systematically review the research literature to identify the factors that determine actors' influence on global health decisions; 2) conduct a dynamic network model analysis of global health governance; and 3) evaluate global health actors' impact on national health systems over time using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This study will inform better ways to govern global health. Specifically, it will help identify innovative strategies to foster collaboration, leverage competition, and better support international efforts to strengthen health systems in developing countries. Findings will also inform national governments' interactions with global health actors, identify opportunities to catalyze system-wide improvement, and help guide interventions aiming to translate existing knowledge into policy and practice.