Global health technologies such as vaccines, diagnostic tools, and antibiotics have played a crucial role in medical progress. Yet their potential is often not fully realized—whether due to limited availability or legal, ethical, and infrastructural barriers. In regions with weak governmental and regulatory structures, new technologies can also be used in risky or insufficient ways.
This is where the Einstein Research Unit “Technologies in Global Health” (TeGH) comes in. It puts users at the center in order to bridge the gap between the promises of new technologies and the realities of their application. The research focuses on three key questions: To what extent is technological change grounded in actual user needs? How are relationships between users and technologies shaped in weakly regulated contexts? And what role can transdisciplinary methods play in this process?
Across the entire technology lifecycle, the ERU explores these aspects in three inter- and transdisciplinary case studies on vaccination, antimicrobial resistance, and mental health—conducted in close collaboration with African research partners. The goal is to develop a new framework that enables stronger and more context-sensitive involvement of users in global health programs.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Beate Kampmann
Director, Institute of International Health Berlin
Scientific Director, Charité Center for Global Health
E-Mail: beate.kampmann(at)charite.de
Funding period: 01.01.2026 - 31.12.2028