Decolonizing Health: Why "Global" Health Is a Problematic Concept with Seye Abimbola

Send us Fan MailA/Prof Seye Abimbola explores how global health as a concept reinforces colonial power structures and argues for decentering Western institutions in health governance. His critique reveals how aid flows primarily benefit donor countries while creating dependencies that hinder meaningful health system development in recipient nations.• The term "global health" itself is problematic, describing an industry with colonial roots rather than a truly global approach to health• Much international aid functions as "tied aid," where donor countries require recipients to purchase overpriced products from them, limiting actual benefits• 84% of major global health organizations are headquartered in wealthy nations, perpetuating knowledge hierarchies and power imbalances• Historical colonial medical interventions like brutal sleeping sickness campaigns continue to impact health outcomes and trust in healthcare today• Prestigious biomedical journals marginalize qualitative research, reinforcing knowledge hierarchies that privilege Global North perspectives• True decolonization requires addressing not just authorship imbalances but ensuring research questions and methodologies serve local needs• The withdrawal of USAID funding presents both challenges and opportunities for African nations to reimagine health systems on their own termsCheck out Dr. Abimbola's book "The Foreign Gaze: Essays on Global Health" available open access, which further explores how knowledge practices in global health often serve foreign interests rather than addressing local needs.We also discussed Kyobutungi C, Okereke E, Abimbola S. After USAID: what now for aid and Africa? BMJ 2025; 388 :r479 doi:10.1136/bmj.r479 Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" [email protected]