Christian engagement in global health often begins with charity—a mission trip, a donation, or a clinic. But in a complex world, charity alone is not enough.
Justice—public justice—requires institutions.
Christian engagement in global health often begins with charity—a mission trip, a donation, or a clinic. But in a complex world, charity alone is not enough. Justice—public justice—requires institutions.
The Global Health & Civic Engagement initiative at CPJ equips Christians to understand the structural role of U.S. foreign aid as a moral imperative, not merely as a political line item. We move beyond the “Charity” narrative to a framework of, as James W. Skillen put it, “normative statecraft,” advocating for health systems that build resilience, honor human dignity, and foster global stability.
Meet the Director:
Shem Opolot, MSc, DrPH (c), is a global health systems strategist and policy expert with over seven years of experience designing and implementing public health programs across Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States. He brings deep expertise in digital health governance, health information exchange, and data-driven decision-making to his work advancing universal health coverage.
Shem has led multidisciplinary teams of over 60 researchers, managed complex stakeholder collaborations across public, private, and academic sectors, and designed data storytelling strategies that have informed national policies and improved patient outcomes. As Program Manager for Duke University’s Division of Global Neurosurgery and Neurology, he helped establish Uganda’s first local neurosurgery research group, launched multiple national studies, and secured international donor funding for sustained impact.
In addition to his leadership roles, Shem has consulted with organizations including UNICEF, Water for People, and Pollicy Uganda, delivering insights that bridge field-level realities with global policy frameworks. He is known for translating complex data into compelling narratives that catalyze change, and for aligning health system reform with innovation, diplomacy, and local capacity strengthening.
Fluent in English and German, with working proficiency in French, Shem is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at the George Washington University, where his research explores the governance and diplomacy dimensions of the implementation of health information exchange in Africa.
