Sunday 6 July 2014

How “Global” is “Global Health”? The Diversity of Global Health 'Thinkers'

From the journal Global Health Governance.  Original page here.


How “Global” is “Global Health”? Examining the Geographical Diversity of Global Health Thinkers

globalhealth Tess van der Rijt and Tikki Pang
Many health issues are transnational in nature and cannot be contained within national borders. Global health is therefore an area of study and  research that should involve the collective opinions and ideas of diverse global health thinkers. This paper poses the question: how “global” is ”global  health”? Through an analysis of four different contributors shaping global health, including academics, journals, health institutions and presenters at  global health conferences, this paper aims to determine if the development of global health is truly global. The paper concludes that global health is not  being shaped by those who are most affected by it; the majority of people influencing and defining global health priorities represent institutions based in the developed world. A number of trends and opportunities are identified and recommendations are made to ameliorate the observed imbalance.