Director's Letter
For AIGHD, 2023 was a year of renewal and defining a sustainable future.
Together with our fellows and partners, we examined our vision and mission in the light of post-COVID global and national health policies, evolving global health priorities, and our goal to strengthen equitable research and educational partnerships worldwide. We continued to expand our Fellows programme and strengthen our wider global health networks. Together with the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Vrije Universiteit (VU), we enabled our educators, scientists, and their partners as they deliver world-class research and educational programmes in global health.
Our People in Numbers
By the end of 2023, we had a scientific capacity of 47 Fellows who are recognized leaders in their field (Senior Fellows), 27 active midcareer researchers (Research Fellows), and 62 PhD students (PhD Fellows), as well as 8 health professionals in allied institutions (Associate Fellows). We expanded our fellows base to include new faculties from the two universities of Amsterdam, welcoming 15 new Fellows and strengthening our relationships with existing faculties. We continued to further engage our Fellows community, holding our annual Fellows fair, and convening events which examine how we do our strengthening our interdisciplinary collaborations.
Senior Fellows
Associate Fellows
Research Fellows
PhD Fellows
Our Projects
In 2023, AIGHD started 11 new major research projects in addition to our 40 on-going projects. We strengthened our research portfolio with the European Commission, including new collaborative research in the areas of climate and health, infectious diseases, and work on Long COVID. Our Fellows continue to publish on diverse topics of global health relevance, including universal health coverage and health insurance, digital health, tuberculosis vaccine development, malaria eradication, SARS-CoV-2 infection in relation to HIV, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Total number of projects running at AIGHD as of 2023
Research Frontiers
Climate and Health
Digital Health and Pandemic Preparedness
Long COVID
Antimicrobial Resistance
Our Events and Programmes
2023 also saw AIGHD continue its support for the global health research community. The 17th INTEREST Conference on HIV in Maputo, Mozambique was once again a success, with over 700 delegates from all over the African Continent. AIGHD also supported the Eastern Europe - Central Asia (EECA) INTERACT Symposium on HIV, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis, held virtually with over 120 registrations. The 2023 edition of the Joep Lange Chairs and Fellows Symposium held in Amsterdam took a reflective look at global health and asked the question: What are the futures of Global Health? The symposium focused on global health research in an era of rapid developments in data science and modelling techniques. Our PhD programme continued to support our global network of early career researchers with 9 new graduates in 2023.
Our Advocacy
Accelerating theory into practice, AIGHD Fellows actively contributed to national, regional, and global policy development in antimicrobial resistance, vaccine development, and the control of infectious diseases amongst others. At an institutional level, AIGHD also contributed to the development of the Dutch Global Health Strategy and European Union global health policies through its active role in the European Global Health Research Institutes Networks (EGHRIN) of which it hosts the Secretariat.
Sustaining the Future of AIGHD
2023 brought in changes in management and executive governance at AIGHD
After settling in, the new Executive Board led a major strategic planning effort. This process culminated in outlining the direction and strategy for AIGHD until 2028, enabling AIGHD to continue to support its scientists across the Vrije Universiteit and the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Most importantly, the strategic plan set out a pathway for the long-term financial sustainability of AIGHD, with closer ties to all universities, and highlighted the importance of improved equitable partnerships with institutions in low- and middle-income countries. The plan lays the foundations for AIGHD to continue to strive to ensure equal opportunities for health and wellbeing for all.