Leveraging Equity and Advancement in Practice (LEAP)

Centre for Leveraging Equity and Advancement in Practice (LEAP)

Scaling Innovation in Health Care Delivery for Lasting Impact

The LEAP Centre bridges academia and frontline care to demonstrate innovations in health care delivery, strengthen capacity through training and collaboration, and share insights to inform policy and scale successful solutions.

About Us

Established in 2025 as a joint initiative of the University of Global Health Equity and Partners In Health, the LEAP Centre is an interdisciplinary hub that brings together expertise in implementation science, technology, capacity building, and advocacy. We partner with implementer teams working in public health systems to embed, validate, and disseminate evidence-based innovations that strengthen service delivery and expand access to quality care in underserved settings. The LEAP Centre’s early work is focused on supporting high-priority initiatives across Partners In Health care delivery sites.

Our Approach

The LEAP Centre partners with implementer teams to advance evidence-based, equity–driven innovation across three integrated pillars:

Science of Innovation and Implementation

With the support of UGHE faculty, students, and researchers, we partner with on-site implementer teams developing and deploying health care delivery innovations. We provide tailored support to strengthen research, implementation, and evaluation design, fostering sustained collaborations between academic and frontline teams. Where relevant, we support implementer teams to assess and adopt emerging technologies that can enhance the impact of innovations in care delivery.

Capacity Strengthening

We deliver training and capacity building initiatives that develop practical skills in research, implementation science, health systems technology, and advocacy. Our training and professional development programs leverage innovation in care delivery as an opportunity to strengthen the capacity of frontline implementers as researchers and advocates, while establishing lasting networks for South-South exchange.

Supporting Scale

We support the development of knowledge products that can inform local and national decision-making and the replication of successful innovations. We support implementer teams to engage with Ministries of Health, regional bodies, and other stakeholders to translate evidence into policy recommendations, ensuring that relevant, scalable innovations contribute to lasting systemic change.

What Makes Us Unique

Advancing innovation within public health systems

The LEAP Centre supports implementers developing, documenting, and scaling innovations within public health systems, generating practical insights into what works for improving access to quality care in underserved settings.

Bridging the gap between academia and care delivery

We connect implementers, researchers, and learners to accelerate evidence generation and develop skills for advancing equitable delivery and access. Across academic and clinical care environments, we bring together the right people to build, study, and share what works.

Scaling through sustainable pathways

Based in Rwanda with deep, trusted networks across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, The LEAP Centre supports frontline implementers, communities, patients, providers, and public servants to engage and influence local and regional policy institutions.

Our Initiatives

Global Health 3.0 Webinar Series

The LEAP Centre’s Global Health 3.0 webinar series maps out what we’ve lost since the dismantling of USAID, what financing for health and health education will look like in the future, and what local and Pan-African initiatives we need to sustain progress and address emerging challenges.

Watch the Episode 1: What is the Post-USAID landscape?

Contact

Contact our team by reaching out to leap@ughe.org.

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