Healthier communities make healthier people. The University of Washington is at the forefront of addressing the interconnected factors that influence how long and how well we live, from climate change and poverty to systemic inequities and health care. In partnership with community organizations, the UW transforms research into concrete actions that improve and save lives across the country — and around the world.

What is population health?

Population health is a broad concept encompassing not only the elimination of diseases and injuries, but also the intersecting and overlapping factors that influence health. The UW’s Population Health Initiative is defined by three major pillars: human health, environmental resilience and social and economic equity. Our work addresses the challenges that arise where these pillars intersect.

COVID-19 resources

The UW is playing an integral role in the response to the pandemic.

Learn more

Spotlight on key issues

COVID-19 unequal impacts

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black, Native, Latino and Pacific Islander Americans because of systemic inequities in housing, jobs, education and health care. Learn how the UW is studying the pandemic’s unequal burden on some communities — and using that research to improve health outcomes for everyone, everywhere.

Learn more

Location and lifespan

How long we live is affected by where we live. Learn what the UW is doing to understand why people in some regions of the United States and the world have a shorter expected lifespan, and how the University is using that research to improve the length and quality of everyone’s lives.

Learn more

Maternal health

For many women around the world — including here in the United States — having a baby isn’t as safe as it should be. Learn what the UW is doing to better understand what causes disparities in pregnancy risks and use that research to improve the health of mothers everywhere.

Learn more