Introduction

The Unit of Health Policy (HPU) was established within the Department of Public Health in 2013. The unit focuses on international health policies and challenges in global health. Led by Professor Gorik Ooms, the HPU multidisciplinary team includes specialists in medicine, public health, political science, law, and health economics.

The HPU collaborates with Cambodia’s National Institute of Public Health, Phnom Penh, and with Centre de Recherche et Formation en Santé Rurale, Maferinyah, Guinea.  We also collaborate with the National Health Institute of Mozambique and with the provincial health authorities of Tete province in northern Mozambique

Our work

The HPU aims to focus its research on international health policies (IHPs), examining their design, implementation, values/interests, and their impact on national policies through its work with partner institutions and researchers committed to document, monitor, and analyse the impact of international health policies at national levels. The range of IHPs to be monitored will be decided together with the partners but will include the ones that are crucial to ensure the main ‘inputs’ for the realisation of the right to health: i.e. funding (with a focus on international funding streams), the health workforce and access to medicines. International health policy on NCDs will also be included because of our expertise and current focus of global health governance on health security (which could have a negative impact for NCD care). We aim to develop research capacity on global mental health – mental health as an IHP. The Unit’s work also engages on studying the shifts and changes in international assistance for global health security, and the changes in international health for health systems strengthening, alongside generating knowledge on the role of ‘climate funding’ on health.

Our comparative advantages are:

1. a multi-disciplinary team with extensive field experience in diverse LMICs;
2. strong institutional collaborations with partner institutions in Cambodia and Guinea, and with stakeholders in Mozambique;
3. active engagement in global networks;
4. production of a widely read weekly “International Health Policies” (IHP) newsletter;
5. internationally recognised expertise and track record in research on NCD care in LMICs.

Policy support

The unit plays an active role as policy advisor for the governments of Belgium and Flanders. We also provide policy advice to WHO Europe and the European Commission.

Getting research into policy and practice

The HPU aims to strengthen the use of research in policy by exploring the role of norms and values in policymaking and the impact of normative divergence between researchers and policymakers on the uptake (or not) of research findings into policy. We also support researchers in addressing the research-to-policy gap (i.e. engagement and knowledge translation for better impact of research results).

Capacity strengthening and education

Team members lead the Health Systems and Health Policies for Universal Health Coverage core course, the advanced courses on NCDs, Health Policy and Governance, and Global Health in times of crisis.

We also have two Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education-funded projects:

• The organisation of an NCD course in Ghana and the Gambia (CAPacity Strengthening of NCD care in West Africa | CAPSTONE; 2024-2026);
• An implementation science-focused NCD course in South Africa and Zambia (Implementation Science for NCDs; 2025-2027).

Furthermore, the HPU leads and coordinates the FWO-funded International Network on Quality of Care for Chronic Conditions. We are also involved in an EDCTP-funded project on lung ultrasound for TB diagnosis in the primary healthcare level in Western and Southern Africa, for GRIPP and implementation research.

The HPU currently supports the Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) programme, aimed at capacity strengthening of young individual researchers especially from LMICs, among others supporting their capacity to engage in global health governance and policy debates. EV4GH is coordinated by an EV governance team and a Secretariat, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh.