4 Ways to Have a Positive Impact on Global Health

Key Takeaways

• Global health is a shared responsibility. It focuses on improving health and achieving equity for all people worldwide, addressing health issues that cross national borders and affect many countries.
• Small actions compound. Simple habits like handwashing and vaccination help prevent millions of deaths each year worldwide.
• You don't need to be a clinician to make a difference. Staying informed, volunteering, pursuing public health careers, and making small daily adjustments are all meaningful ways to contribute.
• Earning a public health degree can help build knowledge in community and population health.

Global health is a shared responsibility that extends far beyond hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. Every one of us—whether a nurse, a student, or a concerned community member—has a role to play in improving the health and well-being of people across our communities and around the world. 

The good news is that you can have a positive impact on global health starting today, through actions both large and small. Here are four practical ways to get involved, along with guidance on how to deepen your knowledge if you're interested in turning your passion for global health into a career.

What Is Global Health?

Before exploring how to make an impact, it helps to understand what global health actually means. Global health is an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. It emphasizes transnational health issues and solutions, and it brings together many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences to promote interdisciplinary collaboration.¹

In other words, the “global” in global health refers to the scope of the problems, not their location. An issue doesn't have to cross international borders to qualify as a global health concern. Any health concern that affects multiple countries or is shaped by transnational factors like climate change, migration, or urbanization falls under the global health umbrella.

Global health is closely tied to the social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. These non-medical factors, such as income, education, housing, and access to nutritious food, shape most of our health outcomes.² Understanding these root causes of health concerns is an important step toward making a meaningful difference.

4 Ways to Have a Positive Impact on Global Health

1. Stay Informed and Educated

The challenges of global health are complex, but you can better understand them by dedicating time to learning. Start by choosing a few topics you feel passionate about, whether that's infectious disease prevention, maternal and child health, or environmental health, and exploring how they affect communities around the world.

Reliable educational resources are easier than ever to find. Universities, public health organizations, and government agencies publish free reports, data dashboards, and case studies that can help you build your knowledge. 

Staying informed also means staying current. Global health progress is real but fragile: Life expectancy worldwide rose from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.1 years in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out nearly a decade of healthy longevity gains.³ Knowing the facts helps you become a more effective advocate and communicator.

Consider these steps to build your knowledge:

• Follow trusted sources like the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and university schools of public health.
• Read annual reports that summarize global health trends and data.
• Attend webinars and events that focus on specific global health topics.
• Join professional networks to connect with others who share your interests.

2. Make Small Daily Adjustments That Add Up

Global health is often framed as a challenge that requires massive, coordinated action. While large-scale efforts are essential, small adjustments to your daily life can also make a measurable difference—both directly and by raising awareness among your family, friends, and colleagues.

Consider the impact of a single habit: handwashing. Regular handwashing with soap reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23% to 40% and cuts respiratory illnesses like colds by 16% to 21% in the general population.⁴ Globally, handwashing prevents an estimated 740,000 deaths each year from diarrhea and respiratory infections.⁵ 

Here are other small actions that can support global health:

• Stay up to date on vaccinations, including your annual flu shot, to help prevent the spread of preventable diseases.
• Choose active and sustainable transportation like walking or biking when possible, which benefits both personal health and environmental health.
• Reduce your environmental footprint, since air pollution, the leading environmental health risk factor, is associated with about 7 million premature deaths each year.⁶ 
• Advocate for healthy policies in your workplace and community, from smoke-free spaces to better access to nutritious food.

These everyday choices may seem modest, but together they help build healthier communities and model the behaviors that global health promotes on a worldwide scale.

3. Volunteer and Engage With Your Community

You don't have to travel overseas to contribute to global health. Many of the most impactful opportunities begin close to home, through community health initiatives that serve local populations.

Volunteering with a local clinic, food bank, shelter, or health education program lets you support populations who face health access disparities—the same inequities that global health seeks to address worldwide. As a community health worker, or by supporting those who hold that role, you help connect people with care, education, and resources they might otherwise go without.

Even everyday volunteering matters. When you mentor young people, organize a community wellness event, or distribute health information in your neighborhood, you're putting the principles of global health into practice at the local level.

4. Pursue Public Health Careers

If global health interests you, consider learning about public health roles across research, education, policy, and administration.

Public health careers are growing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong demand across several related occupations: Employment of health education specialists, for example, is expected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034, with about 7,900 job openings each year,⁷ while demand for epidemiologists is projected to rise by 16%.⁸ 

Here are just a few jobs in public health you might consider:

• Epidemiologist – Investigates the patterns and causes of disease to protect communities.
• Public health educator – Designs programs that teach people how to improve their health and prevent disease.
• Public health analyst – Uses data to evaluate programs and inform health policy decisions.
• Community health worker – Serves as a trusted liaison between communities and health services.
• Healthcare administrator – Oversees the operations of health facilities and programs.
• Environmental health specialist – Addresses how factors like air, water, and housing affect human health.

A public health professional may work in government agencies, hospitals, nonprofits, research institutions, or private industry. 

Build Your Expertise With a Public Health Degree

Graduate education in public health can prepare you knowledge and skills that can be applied toward health challenges at the community and population level.

Choosing the Right Path for You

The right path depends on your current background, clinical experience, and career goals. Among the many public health degree programs available, Chamberlain University offers two graduate options specifically designed to prepare healthcare professionals with community health skills, each with its own distinct focus and audience.

For Nurses: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Specialization in Population Health

If you're a registered nurse looking to expand your influence beyond individual patient care, Chamberlain's Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialization in Population Health program offers a focused path forward. This public health specialization prepares you to apply skills at the intersection of clinical expertise and community health.

The program is delivered with 100% online coursework plus a practicum, and it can be completed in as few as two years of full-time study. The curriculum includes six MSN core courses and six Population Health specialization courses, covering topics such as population health and epidemiology for advanced nursing practice. Earning your master's in nursing online through Chamberlain lets you balance your studies with professional responsibilities, so you don't have to put your career on hold.

For a Broad Range of Professionals: Master of Public Health (MPH)

If you’re interested in focusing on public health, Chamberlain's Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited Master of Public Health online degree program may be the right fit. Coursework covers topics including public health program planning and evaluation, environmental health, advocacy, epidemiology, and health communication. Completing your Master of Public Health online gives you the flexibility to study where and when it works best for you, so you can prepare to shape healthier communities through leadership action. 

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Whichever path you pursue—whether an MSN with a Population Health specialization or an MPH—both programs are designed to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and practicum experience needed to lead meaningful change at the community and population level. With supportive faculty, a flexible online format, and more than 135 years of educating healthcare professionals, Chamberlain University is here to support your journey.

To learn more about these degree programs at Chamberlain, request more information.

Chamberlain University, an HLC-accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 135 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.

¹Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9905260/ 
²Source: www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/social-determinants-of-health 
³Source: www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy 
⁴Source: www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
⁵Source: www.who.int/multi-media/details/handwashing-prevents-740-000-deaths-a-year 
⁶Source: www.who.int/en/health-topics/air-pollution
⁷Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-6 
⁸Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm#tab-6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is global health? 

Global health is an area of study, research, and practice focused on improving health and achieving equity for all people worldwide. It addresses health issues that affect many countries or are shaped by transnational determinants such as climate change, migration, and urbanization.

Can small actions make a difference in global health? 

Yes. While large-scale efforts are essential, everyday habits have a real, measurable impact. For example, regular handwashing with soap prevents an estimated 740,000 deaths worldwide each year.5 Staying vaccinated, choosing sustainable transportation, and advocating for healthy policies in your community all contribute to better global health outcomes.

Do I need a medical background to work in global health? 

No. Global health needs people from many backgrounds, including data analysts, educators, policy advocates, communicators, and administrators, as well as clinicians. A public health degree can help you gain skills applicable to a wide range of public health careers.

What's the difference between public health and global health? 

Public health typically focuses on protecting and improving health within a specific community or nation, while global health emphasizes transnational issues and health equity across borders. The two fields overlap heavily and share core concepts like population health, epidemiology, and environmental health.

Can I earn a Master of Public Health degree online? 

Yes. Chamberlain University offers a Master of Public Health program online with 100% online coursework, allowing you to study on a schedule that fits your life while preparing for jobs in public health.
 

By Charlene Decrease