Ecuador: Social, Environmental, & Cultural Determinants of Health

Travel to Quito, Ecuador to experience the diverse nature of global health and development and their impacts on Ecuadorian and Latin American life. 

Ecuador: Social, Environmental & Cultural Determinants of Health immerses you in public health and healthcare infrastructure in Ecuador, including western and Indigenous health practices.

Through field visits and classes with local faculty, you will experience key health topics in urban, rural, and Indigenous settings in Andean Ecuador. This program is offered by the UofM Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility.

You will stay with a host family and will have two meals a day provided by your family. Lunches are provided either by the program or on your own (50/50), depending on the scheduled activities of each day.

March 1, 2026

The program dates are May 18–31, 2026. You will travel/arrive in Quito on May 18th.

Explore Quito with short-term observational field visits to places such as urban health centers, private and public hospitals, traditional healing centers, agricultural sites, and rural communities. There is also a focus on developing teamwork and collaboration skills that are vital to work in the multidisciplinary field of global health. This is a graduate-level course open to graduate students, professional students, and non-UofM community learners, with an emphasis on health science students or learners interested in health-related fields.

This is course is worth 2 credits.

Rebecca Wurtz, MD, MPH, Professor, Division of Health Policy & Management

Excursions and visits may include:

• Urban health facilities such as Axxis Hospital, Pichincha County Clinic, and Hospital del IESS Quito Sur
• Rural health centers such as Hospital San Luis de Otavalo's Indigenous maternal health center
• Pedro Moncayo County flower plantations and co-op flower processing facilities
• San Clemente Indigenous Community

We will host a virtual information session for the course on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Register for the info session

For more information, contact Katie Conover at [email protected].

Program fees can vary widely due to location, cost of living, airfare, and program inclusions. You must also budget for a flight, visa, passport and passport photos, meals not included, spending money, and miscellaneous living expenses.

This program follows the Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility cancellation policy.

If you cancel your participation after submitting your confirmation forms, you will be responsible for the following:

• 65 days or more prior to start date; Application fee + confirmation deposit
• 64–55 days prior to start date; Application fee + confirmation deposit + 25% of remaining program fee
• 54–40 days prior to start date; Application fee + confirmation deposit + 50% of remaining program fee
• 39–31 days prior to start date; Application fee + confirmation deposit + 75% of remaining program fee
• 30 days or less prior to start date; Application fee + confirmation deposit + 100% of program fee

Upon cancellation at any time, you also forfeit any CGHSR study abroad scholarships.

CGHSR is not responsible for any flight costs or other expenses (i.e. passport, visa, travel clinic) you may incur independently from group arrangements, should you or the University cancel.

If a program is canceled by CGHSR or the University for any reason prior to the program start date, you will receive a full refund including application fee.

For questions about the credit and non-credit version of the program, reach out to Katie Conover at [email protected]. 

You will also be required to complete the CGHSR Ecuador application forms. For questions about these application forms, contact Katie Conover at [email protected].