December 13, 2022
[BOOKS] on Structural Violence
Structural violence refers to the social, economic, or political harm ingrained in the underlying systems and structures of a society, causing long-term suffering and disadvantage for certain groups or individuals. Here are some suggested books on the topic: “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic” by James Gilligan (1997) Gilligan, a psychiatrist and expert on…
November 11, 2022
Food insecurity is driving women in Africa into sex work, increasing HIV risk.
There are many underlying causes that can reduce the burden of HIV if addressed timely. HIV can be spread through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and other body fluids. Among the possibilities are: Sexual contact with someone who has the HIV virus without using a condom A needle exchange or syringe exchange that results…
November 10, 2022
African scientists say Western aid to fight pandemic is backfiring. Here’s their plan
Global health inequities are inevitable, according to virologist and former president of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences Oyewale Tomori. “The WHO is,” says Tomori, “well, I know the W stands for World, but sometimes I think it stands for White.” Dr. Tomori shared that he was not surprised that high-income countries were buying up monkeypox vaccine…
October 11, 2022
Post-Pandemic Austerity Shock worldwide – Reliefweb Report
Isabel Ortiz and Matthew Cummings of ReliefWeb estimate that 85 per cent of the world’s population will live in the grip of post-pandemic austerity measures by 2023 – and likely to continue until at least 2025, when 75 per cent of the global population (129 countries). Currently, 143 countries – including 94 developing nations –…
September 25, 2022
[VIDEO] Are Vaccines Really That Accessible?
We are 16 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and about a year into the discussion to waiver the intellectual property rights for manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine. In May 2020, the World Health Organization launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) after a request from the president of Costa Rica for voluntary arrangement by the owners…
September 13, 2022
[BOOKS] on Decolonization
Here are book recommendations on decolonizing the global health space: “Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon (1961) Fanon’s seminal work on decolonization explores the psychological and sociopolitical effects of colonialism, offering critical insights into the process of liberation and self-determination. “The Colonizer and the Colonized” by Albert Memmi (1957) Memmi’s analysis delves into…
[BOOKS] on Phantom Aid
“Phantom Aid” refers to the phenomenon where foreign aid is promised but not effectively delivered, often due to corruption, mismanagement, or other systemic issues. Here are recommended books to explore the topic more: “The White Man’s Burden: Historical Origins of Racism in the United States” by Winthrop D. Jordan (1974) This seminal work offers…
August 24, 2022
U.N. Faces Record Humanitarian Aid Shortfall — but Not for Ukrainians
Important article about a just published UN report that describes the structurally racist responses to global humanitarian crises. Farnaz Fassihi reminds us that as war, global heating/drought, COVID-19, and longstanding structural violence have grossly increased the need for global humanitarian assistance, the responses from the US, Europe, and Japan has focused on Ukraine at the…
August 16, 2022
Zika, forgotten and forsaken: Global North’s lack of interest leaves vulnerable families stranded
The New York Times reveals that as soon as it became clear that Zika wouldn’t ravage the Global North, funding and attention dwindled, leaving impoverished communities to suffer in silence. Sadly, those in lower socioeconomic classes are hit the hardest, with little hope of relief. And just when they needed it most, the COVID-19 pandemic…
August 15, 2022
Selective empathy in wars
Viet Thanh Nguyen reminds us (The Nation, 22 July) how often our sympathy – and care – for victims of war often comes with baggage of hypocrisy and racism. The deserved sympathy for those civilians suffering from the Russian invasion is rarely matched by our sympathy for civilians who have suffered by by Americans over…
