NZ's First Chair in International Health

Thursday 1 February 2007

Sisters of Mercy Help Establish New Zealand’s First Chair in International Health

New Zealand’s contribution to improving people’s health in developing countries will be enhanced by a new professorial Chair in International Health at the University of Otago.

The McAuley Chair in International Health, to be officially announced at a University function today, has been made possible through a generous donation by the Sisters of Mercy, through Mercy Hospital Dunedin Limited.

Vice-Chancellor Professor David Skegg says the new Chair, which is the first of its kind in New Zealand, is an exciting initiative for the University.

“This Chair is a very appropriate development for the University, given its research strengths in public health and other relevant areas, such as human nutrition and infectious diseases.

“Otago University has a declared commitment to contribute to international progress, including the needs of people in the developing world.”

The $1.5m gift over 10 years has been made as part of the University’s Leading Thinkers Initiative and will be matched under the Government’s Partnerships for Excellence scheme, lifting the total to $3m.

After an international search, the person appointed to the chair will be based in the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine.

Professor Charlotte Paul from the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine says the new professor will be the founding director of a new research centre in international health. The vision for the centre involves developing collaborations with other countries, particularly in the Pacific and Asia.

“The new centre will build on existing research strengths in the Department and across the University’s Faculty of Medicine, including the campuses in Christchurch and Wellington. It will also forge close links with the Department of Human Nutrition, which has considerable expertise working in international settings,” says Professor Paul.

It is expected that researchers from the School of Pharmacy and the Microbiology and Immunology Department as well as the Poverty, Inequality and Development research cluster in Humanities will also have links to the centre.

As well as developing research, the centre will have a major role to play in public health research training for developing countries.

“Otago has long established programmes in this field for public health workers and researchers, including from the Asia-Pacific region. We hope to expand the numbers coming from this region to undertake Master of Public Health and PhD study,” she says.

Sisters of Mercy New Zealand Congregational Leader Sister Denise Fox says the gift establishing the Chair represents a significant contribution to the organisation’s efforts to support the achievement of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.

These goals include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

“Through this endowment we hope to advance research at Otago that will contribute towards achieving these goals,” says Sister Denise.

Mercy Hospital Dunedin Chief Executive Michael Woodhouse says the donation also fits well with the Hospital’s Charitable Outreach Strategy and will strengthen the relationship between the University’s Dunedin School of Medicine and the Hospital.

A function to celebrate the endowment of the McAuley Chair in International Health will be held at the Council Chamber of the University's Clocktower building at 5pm this evening. Sister Denise and the leadership team of Sisters of Mercy will attend.

ENDS

© Scoop Media