Global health training for health workers is much more than a slogan; it is the core mission of the GLOHA-EU project. Over the next 24 months, the Global Health Academy for Health Workers in the EU will help nurses, doctors, community workers and allied professionals better understand global challenges, provide more equitable care and use digital tools with confidence.
What is GLOHA-EU and why now?
The GLOHA-EU consortium met in Dublin on 12–13 November for its kick-off meeting. The partners are Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Irish Global Health Network, Region Syddanmark, Asociación para el Estudio de Enfermedades Infecciosas and Meraki Projectes. Each organisation brings daily experience from hospitals, community services and training programmes across Europe.
Firstly, the project will design a multilingual online vocational curriculum. The structure will be practical, modular and easy to combine with busy work schedules. In addition, GLOHA-EU will place a strong focus on cultural competence, inclusion and equity in healthcare. This is especially important for patients in vulnerable situations, such as migrants, refugees or people facing chronic poverty.
The World Health Organization underlines that strong, well-trained health workers are essential to reach universal health coverage.World Health Organization+1 Therefore, a project that invests directly in skills, values and digital learning comes at exactly the right time.
From theory to practice: digital learning for real-world global health
GLOHA-EU aims to create a flexible learning journey. However, it will not be limited to videos and slides. Instead, the curriculum will combine short modules, real case studies, reflection tasks and peer interaction. As a result, participants will be able to connect global debates with local practice in their own services.
Digital platforms already play a key role in this landscape. For example, OpenWHO provides open, online courses to improve responses to health emergencies.OpenWHO+1 Likewise, The Global Health Network Training Centre offers e-learning resources and toolkits for professionals involved in global health research and practice.Global Health Training Centre+1
Moreover, alliances such as EUGLOH – the European University Alliance for Global Health show how universities are reshaping education through joint programmes and shared campuses.Eugloh+1 The GLOHA-EU curriculum can complement these efforts with a stronger focus on frontline staff and vocational learning.
Learning from other European innovations: the AM-Heal example
Across Europe, several Erasmus+ projects are linking health, technology and innovative teaching methods. Some focus on advanced clinical skills; others develop new digital tools or microcredentials. In this context, GLOHA-EU adds a clear and distinctive angle.
On the one hand, the project will promote a broad vision of health that includes social determinants, human rights and global interdependence. On the other hand, it will provide very concrete tools that professionals can apply immediately. Therefore, it bridges the gap between high-level strategies and everyday clinical routines.
Meraki Projectes contributes extensive experience in online learning design and EU project management. On its website, you can find examples of training initiatives and European collaborations that follow similar principles.Global Health Training Centre You can explore this work through Meraki Projectes and its online training catalogue, where many courses use modular, flexible formats.
What will GLOHA-EU participants experience?
Every country and professional profile will start from a different point; however, the project proposes several common elements:
- Short online modules focused on specific global health topics.
- Activities that link local clinical situations to global health trends.
- Reflection spaces on equity, discrimination, gender and human rights.
- Practical tools to improve communication with diverse patients and communities.
Furthermore, the learning design will be strongly action-oriented. For example, a module might invite participants to review an information leaflet, adapt a care protocol or map barriers to access in their service. Small changes like these can have a real impact on patient experience.
In this way, global health training for health workers becomes a continuous process rather than a one-off course. Step by step, professionals can build new habits, question old assumptions and share good practices with colleagues.utines: adapt an information leaflet, adjust a care protocol or include simple equity indicators in their service.
From learning to transformation: expected impact
Recent pandemics and humanitarian crises have shown how interconnected our health systems are. At the same time, they have revealed deep inequalities between and within countries. Consequently, Europe needs health workers who can “think globally and act locally” with an equity lens.World Health Organization+1
GLOHA-EU responds to this need through focused, flexible and inclusive learning. The project will support staff who have very limited time for traditional classroom training. Instead, they will access short units, online discussions and practical tools that fit their daily schedules.
Ultimately, global health training for health workers is not only about new knowledge. It is also about attitudes, empathy and the ability to work across cultures and sectors. If projects like GLOHA-EU manage to strengthen these dimensions, European health systems will be better prepared for the challenges ahead.
If you or your organisation work in healthcare, this is a good moment to explore new opportunities in global health education. Partners such as Meraki Projectes and the GLOHA-EU consortium can help you connect local practice with global priorities, and they can support you in designing the next step of your own learning journey.
