Folks in global health often care about vaccinations, bed-nets, WASH & other public health measures.
This is important, but what communities first want is medical treatment for people who are sick.
Good projects address BOTH needs!
As Paul Farmer & other clinicians in global health point out:
"People, when they are sick, are not looking to be sprayed, controlled, counselled, told about bush meat... they are looking to survive, and when they see the quality of care is not good, they are going to flee"
Farmer uses Ebola in West Africa to illustrate how dominant this "control-over-care" paradigm is in the global health, and why it has its origins in colonial medicine. See my interview:
After a lot of global advocacy, widespread access to affordable ARVs became feasible after Cipla, a generics Indian manufacturer offered triple therapy for less than a dollar a day.
Just finished teaching my online global health course!
Some reflections & lessons
Because it was online, I invited speakers from around the world - a HUGE change from the past and the single most impactful change.
75% of course faculty were Black, Indigenous or POC
LMIC faculty lit up the course with their authenticity, credibility & lived experience!
Other changes that worked well:
- Began with colonialism lectures
- Sessions on privilege, anti-oppression, anti-racism and allyship
- Content on power asymmetry in global health & decolonizing GH
This NYT piece by @apoorva_nyc brought this discussion home to my own field of tuberculosis. It hits me hard because I know the people, and I served on the Board of @StopTB. I care about the agency & have given my time/expertise.
I respect the Board's independent investigation and look forward to the findings.
Whatever the outcome, it is critical to use this moment to reflect on the structural issues that make tuberculosis problematic. Otherwise, nothing will change.