NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Global Health Corps just sent its latest cohort of fellows to their yearlong posts developing health and social justice solutions in places like Zambia, Malawi, and Rwanda.

And while the GHC fellows—all aged 30 and under—will help develop new systems for dealing with endemic issues like maternal death rates and the spread of airborne disease, perhaps the most intriguing thing about them isn't where they're going. It's where they come from.

Of the 134 fellows in this year's GHC class, only three are medically trained doctors. Most come from other backgrounds like architecture, design, communications, and corporate logistics.

And that's not by mistake—GHC cofounder and CEO Barbara Bush says her team deliberately chooses students and professionals from different backgrounds to help struggling communities get ahead of systemic problems.

"Global health issues are very complex. They're so rooted in poverty, they're so rooted in education—or lack of education—issues. There's a lot of gender issues that play into poor health outcomes," Bush says. "I think that's why we need very different thinkers and different folks at the table. It's health care, and it's a health system, and if it's not meeting everyone it's meant to serve, then it's not effective."

Here's how she finds—and keeps—the best and brightest leaders from around the world: