Officials at UNC recently announced the launch of a new Collaborating Center on Social Innovation in Health, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). The new center in Chapel Hill will work on raising the vaccination rate, improving access to sexual health and reproductive health services, and working to reach underserved populations by developing new digital health services – though leaders of the center are quick to point out that ‘innovation’ isn’t always about new technology.

Read more about the center here.

Aaron welcomes one of the center’s co-directors, Liz Chen of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.

You can also listen to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” on Spotify. Click here to follow Aaron and listen to all his segments, from local news to fun features to hard-hitting interviews.

Listen:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
UNC Launches Collaborative Center to Expand Global Health Access and Research
A new UNC center is working to strengthen global health systems and expand access to care worldwide, recently designated by WHO and PAHO.
On Air Today: The Danger of Ultra-Processed Foods - and How to Combat It
UNC's Barry Popkin joins Aaron to discuss the health impacts of "ultra-processed foods" and what policymakers should be doing about it.
Equity in Health Care - December 11, 2025
What is the state of health care today, both nationally and here in our community? And what needs to be done to address disparities?
'I Could Not Be Happier': UNC's Nabarun Dasgupta Wins 'Genius' Grant for Lifesaving Work in Opioid Fight
UNC researcher Nabarun Dasgupta discusses winning a MacArthur "genius" grant - and the lifesaving research that earned it.
UNC Researcher: Overhaul of CDC Vaccine Advisory Group Adds to 'Incredibly Stressful' Health Environment
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced one week ago he would shake up one of the key volunteer groups that advises the Centers for Disease Control and federal government on how to use vaccines. All 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), who were approved by President Joe […]
UNC Sees 30 Graduate Programs Place Highly in 2025 U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Two UNC graduate schools placed in the top three of their respective categories in the 2025 rankings shared by the U.S. News & World Report.
UNC Experts Present Efforts to Combat Opioid-Related Deaths in Campus Community
At the most recent UNC BOT meeting, researchers and health professionals shared what the university is doing to combat opioid overdoses on campus.
UNC Names Next Dean of Gillings School of Global Public Health
UNC leadership announced Dr. Nancy Messonnier as the next dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health on Wednesday.
New UNC Vaccine Aims to Protect Against COVID Variants, Future Pandemics
Scientists at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health have developed a new vaccine that could be effective against COVID-19 and its variants while also protecting against a future coronavirus pandemic.
Diplomats, Donors Concerned About Sex Abuse Reports at WHO
Written by MARIA CHENG British, European and American diplomats and donors have voiced serious concerns about how the World Health Organization handled sex abuse allegations involving its own staff during an outbreak of Ebola in Congo, as reported this week by The Associated Press. On Tuesday, the AP published an investigation documenting that senior WHO management was informed […]
›