The Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) at the University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, is considered one of the world’s leading programs on health and migration. Established in 2001, HIA works binationally with Latin American governments and public and private institutions, and agencies, as well as with grassroots organizations in the U.S. to improve health outcomes, address health inequities, enhance the cultural competency of healthcare personnel, and put innovative strategies into action to address unmet health needs of the migrant population through its diverse programs.

Vision

The health of a country includes the well-being of its immigrants.

Mission

To coordinate and optimize resources to reduce health disparities of the Latino-origin population living and working in the United States.

Governance

HIA’s External Advisory Board is composed of 14 distinguished leaders including government officials from the United States and Latin America, legislators, researchers, philanthropic organizations, community members, and advocates.

Core Competencies

Aligned with UC Berkeley’s four pillars: research, training, service, and public policy, HIA produces new knowledge through action-oriented research, policy analyses, applied learning opportunities, and communication strategies. To accomplish this, HIA draws upon integrative scholarship from all UC campuses and other academic institutions around the world to forge a globally responsive citizenry.