Content created by Office of Global Affairs (OGA)
The HHS Office of Global Affairs provides leadership and expertise in global health diplomacy to contribute to a safer, healthier world.
Who We Are
The Office of Global Affairs is the diplomatic voice of the Department of Health and Human Services—we foster critical global relationships, coordinate international engagement across HHS and the U.S. government, and provide leadership and expertise in global health diplomacy and policy to contribute to a safer, healthier world.
What We Do
Global health diplomacy—the intersection of public health and foreign policy—is the core of OGA’s work. Through relationships with multilateral organizations, foreign governments, ministries of health, civil society groups, and the private sector, OGA creates and maintains the pathways for HHS to apply its expertise globally, learn from our overseas counterparts, and advance policies that protect and promote health at home and worldwide.
Why HHS Works Globally
The health, safety, and well-being of Americans and people around the world are more closely linked than ever before. People move around and travel more, and so do the things we consume—our food, our medicine, even what we feed our animals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must engage globally in order to protect and promote the health and well-being of Americans at home.
An increasingly connected world can present challenges; but it can also create opportunities. At HHS, our scientists, epidemiologists, and policy experts work with their counterparts around the world to exchange best practices and share technical expertise to advance global health priorities and our own research. We collaborate on a range of efforts, including strengthening health and health systems, ensuring trade policy reflects public health needs, and providing the human services that address the education, social, and economic factors that are critical to health and well-being.
Through global action, we protect and promote health at home and contribute to a healthier, safer world.
The HHS Global Strategy describes the approach that guides HHS’s global efforts to prevent disease and impairment, prolong life, and promote health and well-being.