Much has been written in global health research about the need for meaningful North-South partnerships where problems are identified, and solutions devised and tested by those who live, love, and work in the communities where these problems exist. In this blog we provide a window into the story of a robust partnership as a […]
Tag: global health
Global Health’s Identity Crisis
Lately, the field of global health–led by journals like the BMJ Global Health that often set the discourse–has opened itself up for introspection. Researchers and writers from around the world have been critiquing the field, its theory and praxis. As encouraging as this attempt at introspection and critique is, it runs the risk of […]
For good “Global Health”, words matter
Words inspire us. They shape our culture. They have the power to divide us. When using alternative words to describe something it is not, we either promote or demote its importance. And thus, we inflate or deflate its actual power or value; sometimes intentionally, other times not. Fortunately, a group of leading scholars in […]
Rohingyas, human rights and raising our voice
As I type this, there is a 14-year-old Rohingya girl sitting alone in a shelter home in the Indian state of Assam, probably scared and confused. She was returned to the home after being accompanied to the Indo-Myanmar border by eight police officers, upon the Indian government’s order to deport her back to Myanmar […]
Abe’s legacy – Japan’s contribution to global health
Japan’s longest post-war administration led by Shinzo Abe came to an abrupt end on September 2020. This was on account of Abe’s health problems but in totality marks a period of seven years and eight months. The merits and demerits of Abe’s regime are being examined from diverse perspectives. However, one aspect is clear, […]
There are two pandemics, but why do we keep forgetting the underlying one?
The pervasive poverty pandemic is a major threat to health and survival. History books and fiction frequently feature the tight links between poverty and health, but this ‘common knowledge’ is consistently ignored in political responses to public health challenges. Given the firmly established relationship between poverty and health inequalities, explained by the “inequitable distribution of […]
COVID-19 and the Future of Global Health Research Partnerships
Those of us working in global health research, like many others, have seen our work change dramatically in the past eight weeks. Travel, both the privilege and bane of our industry, has halted indefinitely. Our work moves exclusively online. Surveys abound! Many of us are fortunate. Our work can transition online. Most of us […]
“Using my Voice” to Decolonize Global Health
Last week I watched the Decolonize Global Health online conference at the University of Edinburgh , where Madhukar Pai, Director of Global Health at McGill University, said that the bright spot he sees in all this is the youth can see through the BS. And by BS, he means the “colonialism” in global health […]
More Than a Word: Neo-Colonialism in Today’s Vocabulary.
Everyone has once been found guilty for using these words. Developing countries, third world countries, poor countries, and more. Terminology so embedded in academia and international affairs, yet so full of stigma. Systemic violence is apparent throughout global health and often expresses itself in the way we express global health. Language defines how we, […]
The White Savior Industrial Complex in Global Health
Introduction: Global health, once an obscure field of practice and research, is rapidly gaining prominence. Many training institutions have responded to the high demand for a global health “experience” by providing short-term forays into exotic locales. This phenomenon can be dangerous, feeding into what writer Teju Cole described as the White Savior Industrial Complex (WSIC). […]