Cross Cutting Areas

Many USAID programs operate with a multiple-disease focus. By linking traditionally separate areas through a "cross-cutting" approach, the Agency can create programs with lasting and greater impact on the outcomes of several diseases.

  • Center for Accelarating Innovation and Impact
    USAID is working to promote and reinforce innovative, business-minded approaches and solutions to accelerate impact against some of the world’s most important health challenges, convening industry experts and academic thought leaders to inform our thinking.
  • Children in Adversity
    Through the whole-of-government Action Plan on Children in Adversity (APCA), USAID works to strengthen cross-U.S. Government coordination to address the needs of children in adversity. As a framework for action, APCA promotes comprehensive approaches to child development that encompass both essential health and nutritional care as well as strategies to support children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. APCA also seeks to foster appropriate, protective and permanent
  • Environmental Health
    Environmental health has significant impacts on multiple health interventions, such as poor air quality, unsafe water, and poor hygiene. A cross cutting approach to environmental health outcomes strengthens our response to these problems.
  • Grand Challenges
    Through Grand Challenge programs, the brightest minds around the world are tackling global health problems head on, thinking of innovative, creative, and multi-disciplinary ways to address age-old challenges in health.
  • Integrating Community Health
    In collaboration with UNICEF, USAID works to strengthen the role of community health approaches in reducing barriers to health coverage. The ICH Program supports countries to achieve and sustain effective coverage of proven health interventions at scale.
  • Promoting Gender Equality through Health
    Gender inequality continues to have a negative impact on many health outcomes. USAID’s half a century of experience has shown that health programs that address gender barriers improve development outcomes overall.
  • Reproductive Health
    USAID advances sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights across the globe. Women and girls everywhere should achieve the freedom to decide for themselves on matters of their own sexuality. They should also have access to health services, so they may enjoy strong, healthy families and live in thriving communities and nations.
  • Health Research
    USAID is committed to addressing some of the world's most challenging health and development issues through research, introduction and scale-up of evidence-based solutions. Investments in research and development have led to critical breakthroughs in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of deadly global diseases.
  • Social and Behavior Change
    Through social and behavior change activities, USAID and its partners raise awareness, reduce misinformation, and address the barriers that prevent individuals, families, and communities from practicing lifesaving behaviors to improve health outcomes. 
  • The Demographic and Health Surveys Program
    For 30 years, USAID has pioneered The Demographic and Health Surveys Program (DHS Program). The DHS Program provides technical assistance for the implementation of more than 300 household and facility-based surveys in more than 90 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America/Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
Related Sectors of Work