PGR VOICES: Conference Report: Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) 2025

Background 

I attended the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) 2025 conference held from 20-23 February in Atlanta, USA. With its theme “Innovating and Implementing in Global Health for a Sustainable Future”, CUGH brought together researchers, practitioners, and students from across the global health landscape. 

The program was impressive. It featured over 45 concurrent sessions across multiple tracks. Focus included climate change, social determinants of health, healthcare workforce development, and implementation research. Sessions also bridged global health with humanities and AI. CUGH provided a forum for participants to express shared anxieties regarding the shifting political landscape and priorities in funding. Sessions "Global Health in a Divided World" panel and the "Special Session 2025: Having an Impact in a New Political Environment" had attendees engage in frank discussions. 

Panel session 

I participated as both a panellist and poster presenter. As a panellist in the “Empowering Geriatric Health” session, I spoke on demographic shifts with India’s ageing population and how this is creating unprecedented demands on a system already struggling with workforce shortages in geriatric specialities. The core of my presentation introduced the SHIFT-SHARE, a framework for task shifting and sharing that I am developing at the Usher Institute. Through a study of a community-based approach of the Vadodara-based NGO Lifeline Foundation, I illustrated how task shifting can expand access to home-based geriatric care in resource-constrained settings. I suggested linking workforce training to employment generation, positioning global health as an employment generation opportunity for the youth; to attract funding for implementation. 

Poster presentation 

My poster complemented this by detailing the research underpinning SHIFT-SHARE. I presented initial findings from interviews, focus groups, and observations I conducted across organisations in India involving 102 participants (these included healthcare providers, managers, trainers, funders, and patients). While participants endorsed the framework's structure, they identified implementation barriers like lack of provider incentives and sociocultural factors affecting task redistribution. 

CUGH Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) 

Beyond my presentations this year, I got accepted as a member of the CUGH Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC). TAC is a group of students that serves as a voice for emerging professionals within CUGH, addressing issues like professional development challenges. TAC hosts several pre-conference workshops every year. This year, I was involved in organising the "How to Get a Job in Global Health" workshop, where I participated in mock interviews. The workshop covered CV development and networking strategies. 

Conclusion 

The CUGH conference reinforced my understanding of the interconnected and collaborative nature of global health. I encourage everyone interested in global health to explore opportunities with CUGH and the TAC. CUGH provides platforms for professional development and networking. I would love to chat with you if you are interested to know more about the CUGH.