About this episode
In this episode we explore the multifaceted history of global health and how the narratives borne out of colonization, geopolitical events, and national ownership of public health inform policy and practices today. Among the narratives is that of the World Health Organization, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
Host Garry Aslanyan navigates global health history with two guests. Sanjoy Bhattacharya considers the decolonization of global health and the democratic founding of WHO, which holds great promise for WHO’s future. Anne-Emanuelle Birn speaks about the evolution of global health and the rise of other key players that are shaping the health agenda.
This is the first of our history matters episodes that we will bring to you during this season of Global Health Matters.
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Biographies of our host and guests
Additional resources
Imagining alternative paths for WHO 75 years in (The Lancet)
Backstage: the relationship between the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Health Organization, Part I: 1940s–1960s (Royal Society for Public Health)
Humanities, criticality and transparency: global health histories and the foundations of inter-sectoral partnerships for the democratisation of knowledge (Humanities and Social Sciences Communications)
Reflections on the eradication of smallpox (The Lancet)
History matters: A presentation by Professor Sanjoy Bhattacharya on eradication of smallpox (Video)
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