Global Health Unfiltered

Send a textWhen Yvette Raphael walked into a stakeholder meeting in Kigali in 2019 and asked Gilead's lead researcher, "What are you going to do differently?", she was doing her job. As co-founder of Advocacy for Prevention of HIV in Africa and chair of the Global Community Advisory Board for the PURPOSE 1 trial, Yvette has spent decades ensuring that women most affected by HIV are not just...

Send a textThe America First Global Health Strategy promises something African health advocates have demanded for decades: ownership. Through time-bound bilateral compacts, countries co-finance health programs with the US, gradually taking over as American funding tapers. By year five, they're supposed to own and sustain these systems themselves.But what if ownership without authority is just...

Send a text2025 was the year the comfortable illusions of global health shattered. The U.S. withdrawal from WHO, the dismantling of USAID, and controversial bilateral agreements exposed uncomfortable truths about power, dependency, and who really benefits from "global health partnerships."In this special year-end episode, we hear from global health leaders across the world reflecting on what 2025...

Send a textThis is a continuation of our previous episode with Emilie Koum Besson discussing the various forms of aid dependency. In this episode, we focus on the relationship between aid and dependency as well as pragmatic solutions. To support us, consider becoming a paid subscriber on Patreon or making a one-time donation via PayPal. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter:...

Send a textFor decades, global health has treated aid dependency as a neutral, technical condition, something to measure and manage. But what if dependency is actually a feature of the system, not a bug? Emilie Koum Besson introduces a "Matrix of Dependency Dimensions," revealing eight distinct forms, ranging from historical and epistemic to what she calls "hidden co-dependency," in which elites...

Send a textIn this conversation, Dr. John Nkengasong of the Mastercard Foundation and former PEPFAR and Africa CDC lead, discusses the evolution of public health in Africa, highlighting Rwanda's leadership in health financing and his own journey through various roles in public health. He emphasizes the need for a new public health order in Africa, focusing on domestic financing, the importance of...

Send a textExciting News! We're launching a new Podcast! We’re excited to introduce our new podcast: Africa Health Weekly — your primary source for the latest health news, innovations, and stories shaping healthcare across the continent. Each week, host Beverly Ndifoin provides timely updates on disease outbreaks, vaccine rollouts, health workforce challenges, policy changes, medical innovations,...

Send a textDr. Emmanuela Amoako discusses her journey as a pediatric oncologist and her innovative COMPASS project, which aims to improve childhood cancer detection in Ghana. She emphasizes the importance of empowering caregivers and the challenges faced by children with cancer in low-income countries. The conversation also covers the need for expanded pediatric oncology units, the African Cancer...

Send a textIn this episode of Global Health Unfiltered, hosts Desmond Jumbam and Ulrick Sidney Kanmounye discuss the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra, Ghana. They are joined by Dr. Victor Bampoe and Dr. Ngozi Erondu, who share insights on the summit's key outcomes, including the Sustain Initiative aimed at enhancing African health governance and financing. The conversation explores...

Send a textThis week's conversation dives into the implications of the US's withdrawal from WHO and the halting of USAID funding. Our guest, Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, shares her insights on the disbelief surrounding these actions, the false narratives that have emerged regarding aid, and the responses (or lack thereof) from African leaders. The discussion emphasizes the need for a critical...