Dr. Julio Frenk, former Minister of Health of Mexico on Health Systems, Policy, and Decolonizing Global Health
Improving global health requires transdisciplinary thinking and a focus not just on technologies but the systems that deliver them.
Improving global health requires transdisciplinary thinking and a focus not just on technologies but the systems that deliver them.
On May 16, 2023, UW Department of Global Health welcomed Dr Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Translational Epidemiology & Global Health and Associate Director of the McGill International TB Centre to partake in the Stephen Stewart Gloyd Endowed Lecture Series where he presented his talk titled "Can We Walk Our Talk on Decolonizing Global Health
Every year, we take the time to recognize the outstanding staff and their dedication, service, and many contributions to our department. Criteria for selecting outstanding staff included job knowledge and performance, creativity, integrity, flexibility, a positive attitude, willingness to go beyond the limits of a job description to get things done, community service, outstanding interpersonal skills, and demonstration of grace under pressure. Congratulations to all nominees.
Carole Green, a master’s student at the University of Washington (UW) School of Public Health, studies how prepared our cities and countries are to adapt to climate change’s impact on our health. Green works with faculty in the Department of Global Health, at the UW Center for Health and the Changing Environment (CHanGE), and at the Lancet Countdown — a global team of experts reporting climate change updates — to understand the health risks and vulnerabilities communities face.
This year’s Husky 100 awards have recognized two students within the Department of Global Health (DGH) for making the most of their time at the University of Washington. These students truly exemplify the Husky experience, applying what they learn to make a difference inside the classroom, in our communities and beyond.
Congratulations to our student global health leaders!
Power, Privilege, and Allyship: A ‘Double Agent's’ Perspective on the Effort to Deconstruct Colonialism in Global Health
Global health was born out of colonialism. Even today, it is neither diverse nor truly global. Every aspect of global health is dominated by those with power and privilege. If global health is be reimagined or decolonized, people and institutions who typically hold power and privilege must shift from saviorism to allyship.
Tina Mensa-Kwao is a doctoral student in the Global Health Implementation Science & Metrics program at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where she focuses on understanding how to enhance the implementation of evidence-based practices to improve the mental health of young people globally. In this Q&A, she shares why she’s passionate about global health, her research efforts and its potential impact, her future goals as a professional, and advice for new students.
On April 3, the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) launched the Informatics and Data Science for Health (IDASH) fellowship training program with an in-person workshop in Tbilisi, Georgia. The program launched in partnership with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CDC/EECA) Regional Office, the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe, and country governments.
In a recent conversation with Anand Giridharadas, author of the Department of Global Health (DGH) 2022-23 Common Book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, the DGH community examined the increasingly powerful role billionaire philanthropists have assumed in setting the social change agenda, including in public health. His critiques speak to the challenges we face in our efforts to decolonize global health research and practice, center the priorities of the Global South, and promote equity in our work.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Olena Bidovanets was pursuing her Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree at the University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH). An infectious disease and psychotherapy medical doctor, Bidovanets wanted to study public mental health. After receiving a 2021-23 Fulbright award, she moved from her home in Ukraine to Seattle.