Health and political leaders globally have condemned defunding of UNRWA, the principle lifeline for the people of Gaza. Sharmila Devi, in the current issue of Lancet, quotes UN leaders and aid agency leaders (including WHO) “no other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2·2 million people in Gaza urgently need,” the cuts are “collective punishment,” and “if a teacher is found to be a murderer, we don’t get calls to defund the school…
Tag: Global Health Justice
Wars are never necessary: Gaza is the best example
This short Lancet piece by Souza, Buss, and Alcazar notes that since the Gaza war began in October 2023, “nothing has been resolved and all impasses remain. The costs of lives lost and survivors’ lives destroyed forever are immense. The billions of dollars spent on killing so far could have saved lives, fed and immunised people, recovered the malnourished, built equitable systems, and provided essential medicines in many parts of the world.” They draw our attention to a recent BBC…
Israel weaponizes healthcare in Gaza
Israel crushed Gaza’s medical system and prevents thousands of Palestinians from leaving for treatment. The Fourth Geneva Convention holds that an occupying power must ensure the food and medical supplies of the population and must allow medical workers to carry out their duties (Articles 55 and 56). But “Israel’s closure and blockade have turned the Gaza Strip into an unlivable place”, says Issam Younis, director of the Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights. “We must address the root causes…
Afghan hunger striker spotlights US-Taliban dirty deal
On September 1, 2023 Tamana Paryani began a hunger strike in Cologne, Germany for the rights of Afghan women. She is demanding that the United Nations and the German government declare the Taliban government is misogynist and practices gender apartheid. Ms. Paryani, a women’s rights defender, was arrested by the Taliban and suffered 26 days of physical and mental torture. Upon release, she fled to Germany in October 2022. The Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women publicized Paryani’s heroism in a…
[BOOKS] on Medical Appartheid
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
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…
“The challenges we’re facing are man made- It’s our responsibility to unmake them.” An illuminating talk with a Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish
Building on the issues highlighted in our GHJ website article about medical aid challenges for Palestinian patients, Dr. Abuelaish emphasized how health can serve as a bridge to peace and that the origins of problems stem from ignorance. He stressed the importance of communication to address conflicts. Drawing on his personal experiences as a Palestinian in a war-torn region, he highlighted the impact of war on innocent lives, particularly women and children. The talk underscored the need for a shift…
Missionaries of Hate: U.S. Christian Right Group Enflames Homophobia in Uganda
Ugandan Dr. Frank Mugisha exposes the U.S. backers of the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act. He accuses American “conservative anti-gay activists” of fearmongering in Uganda that has led to its LGBTQ criminalization laws. He outlined how this happening when interviewed on the Rachel Maddow in May, 2023. https://glaad.org/rachel-maddow-traces-anti-lgbtq-legislation-uganda-activists-arizona/ Many people in the Global North were shocked by the inhumanity of Uganda’s new anti-homosexual law. It was well-reported internationally that on May 2 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act that…
Hollow Promises and True Adversaries
Decolonization in global health has gained popularity as a trendy topic, but the language of equity and justice falls short when it comes to practice. Richard Horton’s “Offline: The case for global health” (Lancet, May 2023) pushes us to struggle against deeper issues in our field, including power and money imbalances, unearned privileges, racism, and the omniscience to decide the narrative and tell the global south what it needs. While global health professionals engage in internal battles, the true adversaries…
Fossil Fuel Shackles: How Wealthy Nations Hook Developing Ones
Introduction In the realm of global environmental justice, a disconcerting phenomenon has gained prominence in recent times: the entrapment of impoverished nations by their wealthier counterparts into a relentless dependence on fossil fuels. (1) This practice, though obscured by economic negotiations, perpetuates a cycle of environmental degradation and inequality. By examining pertinent examples and evidence, this essay aims to illuminate the detrimental consequences of this pattern, exposing how such actions hinder both sustainable development and the global fight against climate…