Global Health and Social Medicine
at Harvard Medical School
The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (DGHSM) serves as the hub for global health activities and medical education experiences at Harvard Medical School. The department applies social science and humanities research to continually improve the practice of medicine, the delivery of treatment, and the development of health care policies locally and worldwide. Major efforts include developing the science of global health delivery implementation; advancing equity in health care delivery; and educating students and researchers about biosocial determinants of disease, health care delivery, and the responsible practice of medicine.
Harvard Medical School leads the way in developing and evaluating innovative treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). HMS researchers have led landmark international clinical trials—such as the endTB project—that have identified new, all-oral drug regimens offering greater effectiveness, improved safety, and increased accessibility. These advances have shortened treatment duration and expanded access to some of the world’s most vulnerable patients. These studies have informed updates to World Health Organization guidelines and highlighted the importance of personalizing TB therapy, especially for those with drug-resistant forms. Beyond clinical research, HMS faculty champion global advocacy and education, underscoring the persistent social and systemic barriers to TB care.
Making Strides in Tuberculosis Research
In April 2025, the Harvard Global Health Institute convened its third annual Global Health Symposium under the theme “Delivering on the Promise of Health Equity.” The event included a session featuring author and Partners In Health Board Member John Green and Dr. Mitnick, exploring how online social movements can advance global health equity by demanding systemic change, centering marginalized voices, and leveraging advocacy, storytelling, and allyship to address preventable tragedies like tuberculosis.
How Can a 21st-Century Online Social Movement Advance Global Health Equity?
Dr. Carole Mitnick, Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at HMS, co-led a study that identified three new safe and effective all-oral drug regimens for drug-resistant tuberculosis, making treatment faster and more accessible for patients worldwide—including those in underserved communities.
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In a clinical trial co-led by Dr. Mitnick, researchers found that a shorter, less-toxic drug regimen benefits many patients with hard-to-treat drug-resistant TB, while highlighting the need for personalized treatment approaches.
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The endTB project aims to improve treatment options for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by expanding access to new drugs, conducting international clinical trials to find shorter, safer regimens, and reducing barriers to these life-saving therapies for patients in high-burden countries.
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Master of Science in Media, Medicine, and Health
The Master of Science in Media, Medicine, and Health is a nine-month Harvard Medical School graduate program for those interested in using storytelling to make a difference in health.
It is the only master’s degree program in the United States to offer evidence-based, multidisciplinary storytelling and an arts-driven curriculum focusing on health interventions. Mentors guide students to craft a novel public health intervention using the storytelling medium of their choice (for example, film, creative nonfiction, podcasting, or graphic design).
Faculty directors Dr. Neal Baer, MD ’95 (writer and producer of ER, Law & Order SVU, and Designated Survivor, and executive producer of Peabody Award–winning Welcome to Chechnya) and Dr. Jason Silverstein, PhD (science journalist and writer-in-residence in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School) lead the program. Faculty offering instruction in the program include MacArthur “Genius” Grant and Pulitzer Prize winners, memoirists, essay writers, playwrights, and social media experts.
Alyssa Goldberg, SM ’24, is a wellness reporter at USA Today. She has published dozens of articles on mental health, women’s health, medical gaslighting, and other topics. While at HMS, she completed a project entitled “Journalism as a Novel Health Intervention to Combat Medical Gender Bias, Patient Neglect, and the Delayed Diagnosis and Undertreatment of Reproductive Health Conditions.” She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Global Public Health and Applied Psychology from New York University.
Read some of her work:
This chronic pain condition almost only affects women. Most never get treated.
Adenomyosis, the “silent illness” plaguing their lives, goes undiagnosed for decades
Nearly half of parents with disabled kids report suicidal thoughts, but can’t find help
Alyssa Goldberg, SM ’24
Alumni spotlight
Empowering Communities to Address Climate Health Risks
Figure: An overview of climate-sensitive health risks, their exposure pathways, and vulnerability factors. Climate change impacts health both directly and indirectly, and is strongly mediated by environmental, social, and public health determinants.
Dr. Megan Murray
“We know climate change is unhealthy; that’s nothing new,” says Megan Murray, MD ’90, faculty director of the Research Core and the Ronda Stryker and William Johnston Professor of Global Health in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS. “We want to use our research to find the best ways to help, using the strength of deep relationships with communities around the world as leverage.”
Read more about Dr. Murray's research →
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Molly Franke, an epidemiologist and professor of global health and social medicine at HMS, has led innovative efforts to support adolescents living with HIV in Peru. She developed and tested PASEO, an intervention pairing young people with community health workers for peer support and navigation assistance, but recent federal funding cuts now threaten the program’s continuation and impact. She and her team also created social media campaigns on platforms including Instagram and TikTok, produced a Spanish-language music video to educate Peruvian youth about HIV management, and developed an AI chatbot to address mental health, all aimed at reducing stigma and supporting young people living with HIV.
Read more about Dr. Franke's work →
A Spanish-language music video created by Molly Franke’s team explains the concepts of CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, and the need for treatment adherence.
Efforts to Raise HIV Awareness
Dr. Molly Forrest Franke
EMPOWER: Building The World’s Mental Health Workforce
EMPOWER is a digital initiative under the Mental Health For All Lab focusing on building health system capacity for the prevention and care of mental health problems globally across the life course.
EMPOWER aims to scale up evidence-based psychosocial interventions for the prevention and care of mental health concerns by deploying a suite of digital tools and methods to build the capacity of a frontline workforce to deliver these interventions.
EMPOWER INDIA
In India, EMPOWER collaborates with Sangath, an NGO specializing in mental health research, training, and service delivery. EMPOWER and Sangath work together to adapt, implement, and scale up innovative training programs and digital tools that equip community-based workers with the knowledge and confidence to identify and support individuals with mental health needs.
The Health Activity Program (HAP) is an evidence-based counseling intervention in which Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) deliver a six-to eight-session psychological treatment to adults experiencing depression. EMPOWER has selected Behavioral Activation (BA) as the psychological treatment for depression within HAP; BA is a core component of cognitive-behavioral therapy that is as effective as the complete CBT package. Because BA is brief and straightforward, it is more accessible for frontline workers to learn and master, and easier for patients to engage with and complete. A 2025 study published in BMC Primary Care evaluated the EMPOWER approach for scaling up a low-intensity psychological intervention for depression in rural Madhya Pradesh, India. Researchers from Harvard and Sangath assessed this model's real-world feasibility and impact by examining provider training rates, treatment outcomes, and satisfaction among both ASHAs and patients.
During the one-year study period, EMPOWER trained 1,061 ASHAs and screened 18,195 patients. Of those screened, 12.1% (2,208) screened positive for depression, and all agreed to receive treatment. The ASHAs delivered 13,008 therapy sessions, achieving a high treatment completion rate of 97.8%. Substantial reductions in depressive symptoms were observed from baseline to immediately after treatment, and these improvements were sustained at nine-month follow-up. Both ASHAs and patients reported high satisfaction, demonstrating the feasibility and acceptability of the approach.
2,208 persons with depression
97.8% completed treatment
13,008 counseling sessions
Testimonials
Tara Goswami
ASHA, Raisen, Madhya Pradesh
“Mental health is a major issue that needs to be focused on and prioritized. Training has helped us in understanding that mental health issues are common and treatable. We don’t need to stigmatize it. Early identification and treatment are the key.”
Saira Bano
ASHA, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
“This training has been really significant for us. It has improved our understanding of mental health. Through this training, we will now be able to understand depressive symptoms and be able to help such individuals.”
Hemlata Sharma
ASHA, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
“I really enjoyed doing the online training on mental health designed by Sangath Bhopal. The audio-visual content used in the training program helped in retaining the content, and I was able to absorb it. I think the module has been really beneficial for all of us.”
The Harvard Medical School Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery (MMSc-GHD) program offers education in biosocial research, program design, and management that students need to become leaders in the emerging field of global health delivery. The program offers a rigorous cross-university curriculum focused on developing the tools needed to perform social and delivery science and policy research in resource-limited settings. The core component of the MMSc in Global Health Delivery program is a field-based mentored research project in global health culminating in a master’s thesis.
Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery
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Dr. Vikram Patel
Vikram Patel, MBBS, MSc, PhD
It is a privilege to lead such a passionate and principled community, especially at a time when the world faces unprecedented challenges to health equity and scientific progress. I am continually inspired by the dedication and generosity of our supporters, whose commitment fuels our ability to pursue groundbreaking research, nurture future leaders, and forge meaningful partnerships in service of vulnerable communities worldwide. Your belief in our mission empowers us to respond boldly and swiftly to emerging needs, sustain our core values, and advance our shared pursuit of social justice in health. Thank you for joining us in the important work of shaping a healthier, more equitable future for all.
Paul Farmer Professor and Chair of Global Health and Social Medicine
Kelly Lai, MMSc ’25
Kelly Lai spent several months in Lesotho conducting deeply immersive fieldwork on post-tuberculosis care. Hosted by Partners In Health Lesotho, her project explores how patients with post-TB lung disease navigate care across clinical and community settings and what can be done to support them more effectively.
Read more about Kelly's project →
Sam Muhanguzi, MMSc ’25
During his fieldwork, Sam Muhanguzi conducted an in-depth study of mental health care delivery in rural Rwanda. Based in the Rwinkwavu catchment area with support from Partners In Health, Sam focused on how primary care systems, structural inequalities, and community health workers intersected to shape patient outcomes.
Read more about Sam's project →
Thesis spotlight
EMPOWER TEXAS
Building on EMPOWER’s successful implementation in India, EMPOWER has expanded its approach in Texas, collaborating with a range of local partners to enhance mental health capacity and culturally responsive care across the state. The Texas initiatives span Behavioral Activation (BA) training, innovative digital supervision tools, and the development of interventions for acute distress.
Key areas of focus and partnerships in Texas include:
Behavioral Activation (BA) Training and Implementation:
- In partnership with the Congregational Collective and UT Health San Antonio, EMPOWER trained a cohort of five Navigators (multi-denominational faith leaders) to deliver BA interventions in faith-based settings. Navigators completed training, case-based learning, internships with UT Health San Antonio, and co-developed an implementation guide for faith settings.
- With support from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, EMPOWER has trained 250 BA providers in English and Spanish since July 2024, including community health workers (CHWs) working with the Texas Department of State Health Services and providers with YWCA San Antonio.
TEACH Project and Digital Innovation:
- Working with Baylor Scott & White Health System, the TEACH (Train and EMPOWER A Community Health workforce) project enrolled three new cohorts of social work and public health students training to become CHWs and deliver EMPOWER BA during their internships.
- In collaboration with Dimagi Inc., a social impact technology company, EMPOWER is developing and testing a peer supervision app—using mock scenarios created with TEACH partners—to support ongoing CHW capacity building.
Acute Distress States Curriculum Development:
- Together with partners at Baylor Scott & White Health System, EMPOWER developed a new curriculum addressing acute distress and trauma through single-session interventions. This approach is designed to prevent the onset of PTSD and other mood-related disorders following a traumatic event.
- A scoping review was conducted to inform curriculum design, and drafts of training manuals were shaped by input from CHWs and an expert advisory group including clinicians and trauma specialists. The team is now working to write and produce training videos.