Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS) has observed in the Western world enormous advancement in science and technology including medical science. This technological advancement is however; quite disproportionate with what is the reality in the developing world where resources are limited. The patterns of disease are also very different from the Western world. While non-communicable diseases dominate in the developed world, preventable infectious diseases takes a terrible toll in the developing world, especially Africa. Due to this disparity, we are today witnessing immense suffering of people in Tanzania and other parts of the developing world. Most of the population cannot access medicines, while these very medicines are plentiful in the developed world. There is also lack of knowledge about diseases of importance ? by scientists and medical personnel from both worlds due to lack of exchange of ideas and knowledge. This situation therefore needs a different approach in the way we teach our students. We see GH as a means of contributing to and accessing a wealth of knowledge in a way that it can be applied in Africa, and the solutions found by African scientists can similarly be shared with the rest of the world. The best place to start offering this kind of education will be during the fourth year of medical or nursing elective period. MUCHS as the national health research and training institution has the mandate to train the next generation of leaders in medical fields. The grant would therefore provide the opportunity for the participating schools to develop programs that equip future generations to practice medicine and public health in a globalized world. Our goal is to build a multidisciplinary global health framework at MUCHS that serves as a catalyst for training and research in global health. Through the planning grant, we will identify issues, options, and collaborative approaches to global health teaching and research. Planning committees will be organized and, with faculty involvement, a multidisciplinary elective period course addressing global health issues will be developed. To support the development of this new course, working relations with international collaborators and links with other schools (regional and international) will be established. A strategy will be developed to sustain and expand this initiative beyond the project period. ? ?
