Our Mission
The Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, based at the Duke Global Health Institute, is an innovative policy lab that addresses critical challenges in financing and delivering global health.
Our mission is to improve global health by addressing major strategic questions to inform evidence-based policy change.
Our vision is that targeted health policymakers, at national and global levels, make decisions informed by our work that improve the health of the poor.
Our analytic work and policy dialogue/engagement aims to address three important gaps in global health financing:
- A gap in financing crucial but neglected “global functions” that benefit the poor
- A “middle income gap” that can arise when countries graduate from development assistance for health
- A domestic health financing gap in low-income countries and middle-income countries.
See how we work: our theory of change and our technical focus areas.
Our Work
Our Theory of Change Country alignment: We build partnerships and relationships with in-country researchers, policymakers, and “...
People
Meet our team. We’re a diverse, international group of physicians, economists, health policy analysts and public financing experts.
Our Publications
See our COVID-19 and Pandemic Preparedness work. Featured media and publications NEW: Reforming the R&D Ecosystem for neglecte...
Read our latest publications
Driving health progress during disease, demographic, domestic finance, and donor transitions (the “4Ds”)
Nigeria's health transitions: Country profile Transitioning away from donor funding for health Middl...
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The global functions of health aid: quantifying and closing the financing gaps
New! Financing for future pandemics New! Is it feasible to mobilize $31 billion a year for pandemic ...
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How health aid should evolve to tackle the “middle-income dilemma”
Donor transitions from HIV programs: what is the impact on vulnerable populations? Health Affairs Bl...
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How donors are approaching transition from aid
Donor dependency in Kenya Transitioning away from donor funding for health United Kingdom Japan IDA ...
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Research and Development
Policy Brief: Reforming the R&D ecosystem for neglected diseases, emerging infectious diseases, ...
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Policy Blog
Extractive Bilateralism: Health Aid Needs Urgent Attention and Action
August 12, 2026
This article was written by Kathya Acuña Luna, a student in Gavin Yamey’s Geneva-based summer course in global health policy. Kathya is a biomedical engineer with an additional MSc in AI, cu...Explaining the Rise of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting up the Global Health Agenda
April 13, 2026
This article was written by Mary Ann Fahmy, a student in Gavin Yamey’s master’s course, “Global Health Policy: Transforming Evidence Into Policy.” In the piece, she uses Shiffman and Smith’s...Why did Polio Elimination Rise to the Top of Pakistan’s Health Agenda?
March 23, 2026
This article was written by Hira Farooq, a student in Gavin Yamey’s master’s course, “Global Health Policy: Transforming Evidence Into Policy.” In the piece, she uses John Kingdon’s well-kno...