The four-year designation formalises and builds on the Department’s longstanding collaboration with the WHO, acknowledging its many years of expert support to countries working to strengthen primary health care.
With internationally recognised expertise in health systems analysis, evidence synthesis, clinical trials, digital health, qualitative research and implementation science, the Department is well placed to support the WHO and its Member States in strengthening primary health care-oriented health systems worldwide.
This latest designation follows the recent recognition of our Sustainable Healthy Food Group as the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Promotion of Healthy and Sustainable Diets, underscoring the breadth of the Department’s contribution to WHO’s global health agenda.
Supporting the WHO’s global health strategy
The new WHO Collaborating Centre will contribute to the implementation of the WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work (GPW14), the organisation’s global strategy setting out priorities and goals for improving health worldwide.
A central priority within GPW14, Strategic Objective 3, focuses on advancing the global primary health care approach. In practice, this means supporting countries to organise and strengthen their health systems so that high-quality care is delivered close to where people live, centred on people’s needs, and provided in a coordinated and sustainable way.
What the WHO Collaborating Centre will do
As a WHO Collaborating Centre, the Department will work closely with the WHO to strengthen primary health care through practical, evidence-informed support.
Its work will focus on three priority areas:
- Turning evidence into action
The Centre will synthesise research on priority issues identified by the WHO and translate findings into accessible policy briefs and knowledge products. These resources will support policymakers in designing and implementing reforms aligned with the WHO Operational Framework for Primary Health Care.
- Building leadership and shared learning
The Centre will facilitate global knowledge exchange through leadership development initiatives, training programmes and webinars. By bringing together policymakers, practitioners and researchers from around the world, these activities will promote shared learning and build capacity for primary health care reform.
- Developing tools to support country implementation
The Centre will contribute to the development and refinement of technical tools to help policymakers and planners reorient health systems towards a primary health care approach. This includes creating practical toolkits and sharing real-world examples that demonstrate effective models for strengthening community-based services.
Across all activities, the WHO will provide strategic direction and oversight to ensure alignment with Member State priorities.
A strategic partnership for global impact
The designation reflects both the depth of the Department’s expertise and the growing global recognition that strong primary health care is fundamental to advancing universal health coverage, reducing inequalities and thus improving population health.
Professor Irene Tracey, CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: ‘The designation of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Health Care reflects the University of Oxford’s enduring commitment to addressing the world’s most pressing health challenges through rigorous research and meaningful global partnership. Resilient, equitable primary health care systems are paramount to ensuring the wellbeing of the global population, and this collaboration exemplifies how universities can work with international organisations to deliver impact at scale.’
Dr Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of our Department of Performance, Financing and Delivery, said: ‘Partnerships are central to implementing our WHO strategy for global health. Advancing the primary health care approach lies at the heart of this strategy, making the establishment of this new WHO Collaborating Centre especially timely. I am therefore delighted that the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford has been designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre. Together, through our technical collaboration on Primary Health Care, we have a powerful opportunity to strengthen health systems and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives around the world.’
Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, OBE, Head of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and Nuffield Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences, and a Director of the Collaborating Centre, said: ‘This designation is a tremendous honour for the Department and marks an important step in our ongoing partnership with WHO. It reflects a shared ambition to ensure that high-quality research informs real-world decision-making. As global health challenges grow more complex, closer collaboration between academic institutions and international organisations is essential. We are committed to contributing our expertise in support of countries working to strengthen and sustain health systems based on primary health care.’
Professor Michael Kidd AO, Professor of Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, and a Director of the Collaborating Centre, said: ‘Primary health care is the foundation of effective, equitable health systems. We are honoured to be designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Health Care. This partnership formalises our long-standing relationship with the WHO and strengthens our shared commitment to generating evidence that directly supports countries to improve the health and wellbeing of their populations.’
Dr Luke Allen, Co-Director of Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, and a Director of the Collaborating Centre, added: ‘Countries are facing increasingly complex health challenges – from rising non-communicable diseases to ageing populations and the impacts of climate change. Primary Health Care offers the most equitable, sustainable, and cost-effective approach for engaging with these tectonic issues. By working closely with WHO, we can ensure that our Department’s cutting-edge evidence is directly translated into practical tools, policy briefs and learning platforms that support real-world action, supporting the ultimate mission of health for all.’
Over the next four years, the WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Health Care will work closely with the WHO and its Member States to strengthen primary health care with practical, evidence-informed support. Through this formalised collaboration with the WHO, the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences will help ensure that high-quality research and global learning are translated into practical action, supporting countries to build stronger, more people-centred health systems and improve health outcomes worldwide.
“The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest university in continuous operation.”
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