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Global Health Justice

Category: Medical Apartheid

Vaccine Milestone: South Africa Starts Local Meningitis Production

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In a landmark move for public health and African pharmaceutical manufacturing, South Africa’s Biovac has entered into a strategic partnership with Korean vaccine producer, EuBiologics Co. Ltd., to commence the production of a meningitis vaccine on African soil. This collaboration represents a significant stride in the fight against meningococcal disease, an endemic threat in South Africa and across the sub-Saharan region. Meningococcal meningitis, a bacterial infection causing the inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes, poses a severe health…

[BOOKS] on Medical Appartheid

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Medical apartheid refers to the systemic discrimination, segregation, and unequal treatment of individuals or groups based on their race or ethnicity within the healthcare system, leading to disparities in access, quality of care, and health outcomes. Book recommendations on medical appartheid:   “Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present” by Harriet A. Washington (2006) Washington meticulously documents the history of medical exploitation and mistreatment of Black Americans, offering a comprehensive…

Could you patent the sun? How vaccine patent waivers would save lives

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The world had the chance to truly treat COVID-19 as a common problem and respond to it in an equitable and just manner. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians, mainstream media and celebrities in the West declaring the disease the “great equalizer” – implying that this novel virus would affect everyone regardless of their position, wealth, race, or power. However, as the pandemic progressed, it became abundantly clear that this was not the case. Instead, the development and distribution of several effective…

Substandard medicines blamed for 285,000 childhood malaria, pneumonia deaths

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VIdya Krishnan, an Indian Journalist writes about a “dirty secret in global health:” that rich countries get quality medicines and that the poor countries often get poison. Her op-ed in the Sept 11 New York Times describes the regulatory inequities between rich and poor nations. and how these inequities fail to prevent manufacture and export of substandard medicines. Rich countries have well-funded regulators keeping an eye on the safety and quality of drugs; most low income countries don’t have the…

Global North’s Pandemic Selfishness: Seeds of the Global South’s Burning Resentment

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Mark Suzman, CEO of Gates Foundation, admits that the distrust in the Global South has been brought about by Vaccine policies of the Global North (see article). In June, at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the deep resentment felt by many in the Global South over the inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. This sentiment, shared by leaders like Strive Masiyiwa, reflects a broader issue of trust and cooperation between…

DEI plays a critical role in addressing health disparities, despite political controversy surrounding it.

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The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement is under organized and escalating attack. The critics argue that “DEI Inc.” has gone too far-and should be rolled back or defunded because of clunky and controversial administrative moves.” It was recently reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research that even the wealthiest Black patients suffer worse health outcomes compared to their white peers. It is also common for uninsured patients with disabilities, undocumented immigrants, Asian Americans facing language barriers, and LGBTQ…

Medical Apartheid and Structural Racism in Global Health [WEBINAR]

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Patent protections and global debt are deepening inequalities in access to basic health and social services around the world. Their existence threatens progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and impacts nearly all the work the DGH conducts around the world. The UNAIDS 2022 Annual Report cites debt and austerity as key threats to progress against HIV/AIDS. It states, “High levels of indebtedness are further undermining the capacity of governments to increase HIV investments. Debt servicing for the world’s poorest countries has…

Anti-racism: Commitments, actions, and accountability don’t align with pronouncements

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The authors place leading Public Health organizations under the scanner for their anti-racism commitments and accountability. They found that the majority of organizations (26/45) have not made any public statements in response to calls for antiracism actions, and that decision-making bodies are still lacking diversity and representation from the majority of the world’s population. Also, most commitments were not accompanied by accountability measures.

Anti-Blackness in global health – from vaccine to visa apartheid

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In this article on PLOS Global Health, Catherine Kyobutungi and others discuss what anti-Blackness in global health means, why it matters, and what needs to be done to counter anti-Blackness in global health and development. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001663

Vaccine Apartheid: Perspectives from a Kenyan Doctor

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I was breathless, flushed, and worn out – symptoms that were consistent with the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. Or perhaps signs of sheer exhaustion from my 24-hour shift in the Kenyan critical COVID ward while wearing the required heavy, tight, personal protective attire. I contemplated going in for my second PCR test for the week, while thoughts of fear clouded my mind. Will I infect my loved ones while I treat the loved ones of others? Will I fall terribly ill and…