As we have learned through the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of communities around the world is connected through shared technologies, institutions, and values. In this episode, we explore these connections outside the context of a pandemic. We learn how issues in global health are prioritized, funded, and measured; about the roots of global health in imperialism, and what it means to decolonize global health; and about the importance of highlighting local expertise and youth perspectives to strive for equity and improve health outcomes. We spoke with several leaders in global health, including: Dr. Erica Di Ruggerio, Director of the Centre for Global Health and the Collaborative Specialization in Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Dr. Ngozi Erondu a Senior Research Fellow at the Chatham House Centre for Global Health Security and a Senior Public Health Advisor at Public Health England; Jason Nickerson, Humanitarian Affairs Advisor with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and Colleen Dockerty, Registered Nurse and gender-based violence consultant, also with MSF; and Habon Ali, a Somali-Canadian community builder, who leads initiatives to improve health equity and remove systemic barriers to engaging youth in global health.

Written by: Stephanie Nishi

Dr. Erica Di Ruggiero - website