Online panel discussion
Historically, the discourse of public health has been shaped by the interests of countries and actors based in the global north, often to the detriment of marginalised populations in the global south. In recent years the decolonial movement has been gaining momentum to address power asymmetries by questioning the governance structure of global health as the direct legacy of the colonial era. The goal of health for all cannot be achieved unless global health funding stops operating as "aid and charity". The universal values of equity and justice in aid coordination and delivery can counter colonial vestiges of production and deployment of knowledge and skills.
Calls to decolonise global health have reverberated strongly in the Geneva global health ecosystem, where inequities in global access to COVID-19 vaccines were a watershed moment. Calls for decolonising global health echo geopolitical re-alignments, such as the African Union taking a united stand on global health issues; the headquartering of major global health actors largely in the global north; the lack of diversity in the leadership of many organisations; and persistent opacities when it comes to priority-setting, decision-making, and operational control in global health.
Moving beyond the prevailing discussions, what does it mean to decolonise global health governance in practical terms? What examples exist of successful decolonisation of international cooperation in global health? What examples exist of just global health governance structures that have reimagined aid in the post-pandemic world? These and other questions will be explored in a provocative, frank and forward-looking discussion about the complex intersectionalities of governance, aid, and the promotion of global solidarity.
Join us for a lively conversation with the speakers and the audience!
Welcome Remarks by Ellen Rosskam | Coordinator, International Geneva Global Health Platform
Closing Remarks by Martin Leschhorn Strebel | Director, Medicus Mundi Switzerland; President, Medicus Mundi International
Moderated by David McCoy | Evidence to Policy Research Lead, United Nations University’s International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH)
The International Geneva Global Health Platform, Medicus Mundi Switzerland and Medicus Mundi International.
Disclaimer
This event may be filmed, recorded and/or photographed on behalf of the Geneva Graduate Institute. The Institute may use these recordings and photographs for internal and external communications for information, teaching and research purposes, and/or promotion and illustration through its various media channels (website, social media, newsletters).
By participating in this event, you are agreeing to the possibility of appearing in the aforementioned films, recordings and photographs, and their subsequent use by the Institute.
For further information, please consult our privacy policy, our FAQ or contact us directly: events@graduateinstitute.ch.