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Centre for International Health

About CIH

Established in 1988, the Centre for International Health (CIH) at the University of Bergen (UiB) is an inter-Faculty Centre for research and training within the field of Global Health.

CIH
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CIH

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Established in 1988, the Centre for International Health (CIH) at the University of Bergen (UiB) is an inter-Faculty Centre for research and training within the field of global health.

OUR VISION
To provide excellent global health research and training contributing to improved health and equity.

THE MISSION OF THE CENTRE
CIH works in partnerships with research institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and aims to:

  • Coordinate and conduct high quality, relevant and innovative global health research
  • Teach, supervise, and facilitate learning in global health
  • Disseminate research and engage in policy discussions on pertinent global health issues

GLOBAL HEALTH
In accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3), CIH defines “global health” as an area of research, education and practice that focuses on improving health and achieving health equity, especially in LMIC. The field of global health promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and involves subject areas both within and beyond the health sciences. For CIH, mutual post-graduate capacity strengthening and genuine partnerships with implementing institutions are integrated and essential features of global health, in compliance with SDG4, on Education and SDG17, on Partnerships.

PARTNERSHIP
CIH aims to strengthen capacity in global health through research and training in partnership with academic institutions and other research entities in LMICs. An important prerequisite for establishing mutual and sustainable research partnerships is that genuine collaborative effort is involved in the conception, development, and implementation of projects.

SCIENTIFIC PRIORITIES
In line with the SDG agenda, CIH will focus on collaborative research and capacity strengthening to promote improved health and equity in LMICs. We will concentrate on the ‘unfinished agenda’; the leading social, environmental and political determinants of the burden of disease in LMIC, including maternal, adolescent and child health and infectious diseases, as well as nutrition, child growth and development. Priority will also be given to non-communicable diseases and injuries, in particular chronic respiratory diseases and mental health. We will also engage in research on health policy, health systems and health consequences of migration, climate change and inequality. CIH will emphasize research on implementation and interventions that can cost-effectively and equitably improve health.

STAFF
CIH comprises 11.4 professor positions and eight senior researchers. CIH has 50 PhD-candidates, and 12 of these are employed at the centre. The administration is combined with the IGS administration and includes 7 people located at CIH.

COLLABORATION
CIH is a part of the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care (IGS) at the Faculty of Medicine . Research and teaching at CIH bridges departments and faculties at the University of Bergen and is conducted in partnerships with national and international institutions. In line with the SDG agenda, CIH focuses on collaborative research and capacity strengthening to promote improved health and equity in LMICs. CIH was awarded a Centre of Excellence, the Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health (CISMAC) in 2013.

CIH has an extensive network of partner institutions in the world, with projects in:
Bangladesh, Denmark, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

In addition, CIH has several Norwegian partners, including the Christian Michelsen Institute, the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), the Western span Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Vest), Haukeland University Hospital, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and Stavanger Hospital.

FUNDING
At present, CIH receives its main funding from the Research Council of Norway, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the EU.

Read more in CIH's Annual Reports and in the CIH Guidelines. CIH Staff Meetings are held on Mondays 13:00.