Health is now recognised as one of the most important challenges facing developing countries.  Despite considerable medical advances, over 6 million people die each year from malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB.  Meanwhile, smoking and obesity, traditionally viewed as problems associated with "industrialised" countries, are now significant public health problems in developing countries.  Good health is essential for economic development and poverty reduction, and therefore tackling disease and ill health is of global importance.

The University of Oxford has a deep and long-standing interest in the health problems of persons in developing countries.  Within the Medical Sciences Division, major research efforts in global health take place both in Oxford and the Oxford Tropical Medicine Network.  The Department of Public Health has a number of renowned research groups and units providing a strong environment of multi-disciplinary research, which includes epidemiology of cancer and HIV, occupational epidemiology, epidemiology of diabetes and dyslipidaemias and health status and outcomes measurement.