Fundamental commitments to diversity and inclusion, equity, and social justice are at the very core of global health. The Harvard Global Health Institute seeks to make these principles central to every aspect of our work as we promote education, research, and policies that address fundamental health inequities in the US and around the world. Inherent in this work, we must recognize the vast and ongoing impact of the historical legacies of racism, colonialism, and other forms of oppression that continue to sustain such significant disparities in health and health outcomes, access to quality care, and efforts to reduce suffering among individuals and populations. We realize that challenging such inequities requires continuous vigilance, scrutiny, and deep critical evaluation and reflection. Our responsibility and commitment are for these values to be clearly reflected in all our efforts to promote the study of global health and health conditions, social and structural determinants of health, and innovative practices and policies that actively promote equity and equality.

As a critical aspect of codifying these goals and critical responsibilities, HGHI has established a charter (link) that aims to formalize and sustain a collective, values-driven approach to consistently identifying and addressing all forms of discrimination, oppression, racism and supremacy in all aspects of our work.