Office of Global Health (OGH)

Stock image of mother and childOGH seeks to improve health worldwide by providing leadership, coordination, and support for NICHD's global health mission and activities. The office was established in 1998 as the Office of Prevention Research and International Programs (PRIP). In 2008, in response to the rapid expansion of global health and prevention research, PRIP was restructured in 2008 to form two offices: OGH and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

OGH collaborates with the NICHD's Divisions and Offices, other NIH and DHHS entities, and an array of public and private organizations toward:

  • Identifying, developing, and coordinating global health research and training opportunities
  • Building and maintaining global health partnerships and collaborations
  • Providing leadership in the development of cross-cutting interagency policies, plans, and programs related to NICHD's global health research
  • Assisting the institute's components in enhancing their international research portfolios and other global health activities

In implementing these activities, OGH works in partnership with multiple national and global health organizations, including the HHS Office of Global Affairs, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State, embassies of foreign countries, foreign ministries of health, research organizations and universities in the United States and abroad, and representatives of international health and non-government organizations.

Some of the global activities that OGH directs and coordinates include the following:

  • Facilitating new and enhanced research opportunities and fostering partnerships to support NICHD's global health research initiatives
  • Providing consultation and assistance to NICHD staff in planning for and addressing issues related to international research and training projects
  • Sponsoring workshops and conferences on global health issues related to the NICHD's mission
  • Preparing the Institute's annual catalog on international activities in collaboration with NICHD divisions and offices
  • Planning international site visits by senior NICHD, NIH, DHHS, and Congressional leadership and organizing NIH visits by foreign delegations
  • Providing scientific input to interagency global health documents
  • Gathering information and preparing materials including presentations, briefing documents and portfolio analyses for use at domestic and international meetings
  • Serving on NIH, HHS, and interagency global health working groups
  • Liaising with federal and non-federal agencies on global health issues
  • Advocating for the role of evidence-based research in the design and implementation of global health programs
  • Disseminating NICHD global health information to diverse audiences and organizing global health talks on an array of scientific topics

For more information on NICHD’s global health research and international collaborations, check out the 2023 NICHD Global Health Research Catalog (PDF 1 MB).

Vesna Kutlesic, OGH Director 
Latonya Carter, Staff Assistant 
Jenelle R. Walker, Health Scientist Administrator

For more information, contact:
Office of Global Health (OGH)
NICHD, NIH, DHHS
6710B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7002, Office 2105
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 435-7566
Fax: (301) 480-3844

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