Decolonising Global Health: An Interactive Introduction

When: Friday 8th December, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Irish time

Where: Online via Zoom

WATCH THE RECORDING EVALUATION FORM

The Irish Global Health Network and ESTHER Ireland held an online event ‘Decolonising Global Health: An Interactive Introduction’.

‘What is Decolonising Global Health? How do I begin reflecting on and engaging with the issue?’ 

Global health is at a crossroads, trying to reconcile its current aims to promote health equity and well-being for all, with its colonial origins and traits. As the Decolonising Global Health discussion and movement continue to build, it is important to become engaged, think critically, and reflect on our positions within Global Health. And it is never too late to start!  

This 2-hour event provided an introduction to the concept and issue of Decolonising Global Health, through a brief presentation by Manasvini Moni, which was followed by an interactive workshop on Reflexivity and Positionality with Dr Brittney S Mengistu, post-doctoral researcher at Vrije University. 

A recording of the initial introductory session is now available to view on our YouTube channel.

The interactive workshop portion was only available to those who attended on the day. If you missed it, keep an eye out for future Decolonising Global Health events in 2024!

If you would like to learn more about decolonising global health, you can refer to the following resources:

On the colonial history of global health: ​

• https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/medicine-empires-and-ethics-colonial-africa/2016-07 ​
• https://africasacountry.com/2023/06/the-coloniality-of-global-health ​
• https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000936 ​

On the DGH movement: ​

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhukarpai/2021/07/22/decolonizing-global-health-a-moment-to-reflect-on-a-movement/​
• https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32417-X/fulltext ​
• https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/8/e003394 ​

On decolonising the economy: ​

• https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/decolonising-economy/​
• https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/formally-colonized-people-cant-breathe-and-the-imf-and-world-bank-are-to-blame/​
• https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/10/11/low-income-country-debt-rises-to-record-860-billion-in-2020 ​
• https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30253-9/fulltext ​

Examples of efforts: ​

• https://www.thecentriclab.com/​
• https://www.blackandbrownskin.co.uk/our-vision​
• https://www.healthpovertyaction.org/​
• https://decolonialdialogue.wordpress.com/​
• https://developmentreimagined.com/​

About the Workshop  

The Reflexivity and Positionality workshop provided an introduction to reflexive praxis in global health, including examining individual perspectives and experiences that position individuals in unique social categories. During the session, attendees critically engaged with their positionality in relation to global health research and practice. Attendees were encouraged to reflect on experiences of power and marginalisation related to their various social categories, and the ethical boundaries and biases that open or foreclose opportunities for engagement with various marginalized communities.  

The workshop consisted of didactic and interactive activities, where individuals were prompted to create a visual diagram of their positionality in relation to their current work in global health research or practice. In small groups, participants were encouraged to reflect on their positionality and explore how it relates to their work. 

About the Facilitators

Brittney S. Mengistu is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in Global Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research interests include participatory methodologies, humanitarian health, and the anthropology of mental health and migration. Brittney advocates reflexive and inclusive practice in global health by incorporating a decolonial feminist lens into her work. Brittney holds a PhD in Anthropology from King’s College London and an MPH from Emory University. 

Manasvini Moni is a recent graduate with a Master’s in Public Health from Karolinska Institute, Sweden. She also holds a BSc in Human Sciences from University College London, UK.  Born and raised in New Delhi, India, she is passionate about advancing health and social equity using innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to research, advocacy, and communication. She has donned many hats in this pursuit – being a researcher, writer, and podcaster to name a few. She has also researched and engaged with a wide range of topics within health and social justice including decolonisation, gender-based violence, sustainability, anti-microbial resistance, healthcare supply chains, vaccine hesitancy and more. When not at work, you can find her reading, listening to music, and keeping up with pop culture.