Programs and Initiatives
The Africa Institute supports and facilitates several programs and initiatives in the Western community and beyond. These programs are diverse in academic disciplines, focus regions, and participating individuals, from field courses to revolutionary research. There are many ways to get involved in the available initiatives, and more information can be found in each program page on the left while the links below will take you to the home pages for each initiative.
Western Centre for Climate Change, Sustainable Livelihoods and Health (WeCLISH)
WeCLISH focuses on climate change, sustainable food systems and health with the goal of consolidating and leading research aimed at: generating climate change knowledge to improve resource governance; working with local partners on climate change impacts and responses; and generating research for large scale projects relating to climate change, sustainable food systems, and health. The Centre provides important opportunities for graduate students to become part of the community of researchers at Western who study aspects of climate change, sustainable food systems and health, as well as networking and professionalization.
Western Heads East
Largely through probiotic yogurt social enterprises, the program is established in highly underserviced areas of Sub-Saharan Africa in collaboration with local NGOs, universities and medical research institutes to enhance community health, economic development and the empowerment of women. Moved by the plight faced by millions in Africa, a group of Housing staff formed Western Heads East (WHE) to develop a sustainable community development project that goes beyond financial contributions and help with the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa - A Western University community response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.
Global Health Systems
Global Health Systems focuses on international health, particularly in marginalized populations. Due to the many strong, successful, and ongoing research and professional partnerships that Western faculty have established with African Institutions that investigate the extensive and life-threatening issues facing the African continent, they chose to focus on Africa but to also draw connections to all areas of the world, in consideration of broader Global Health issues.
Past Projects
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Rwanda
The Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Rwanda (MNCHR) Project is a three-year partnership project with Western University, the Kigali Health Institute and the National University of Rwanda. It officially launched on January 25th, 2012 and is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). To learn more about the MNCHR project please visit the website here.
