The McAuley Chair of International Health is named after Catherine McAuley (1778–1841), the founder of the Sisters of Mercy. Catherine founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, to be responsive to the needs of the poor, the uneducated, and the sick.
The Sisters currently work in 45 countries, giving particular commitment to support the United Nations in meeting their Millennium Objectives.
The support for the McAuley Chair of International Health is a specific response to this vision from Nga Whaea Atawhai o Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand, through Mercy Hospital Dunedin.