Global Health in Africa: An Historical Perspective | National Humanities Center

Humanities in Class: Webinar Series

Global Health in Africa: An Historical Perspective

Global Health; World History; Government; History of Medicine; Colonialism

Neil Kodesh (Professor of History and Director, African Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

January 21, 2021

The last few decades have witnessed an enormous increase in interest in global health, particularly with respect to Africa. Most international agencies, national governments, pharmaceutical companies, research universities, and charitable organizations are now involved in some capacity in activities related to global health. As a result, there is currently far more money devoted to global health than at any other time in history. This webinar will explore what might account for this increased interest in global health and also provide some historical perspective to help makes sense of this phenomenon. Such a historical perspective will allow us to consider the relationship between current and previous practices of global health in Africa. Is there something radically different about global health in Africa today compared to what used to be called “international health?” Are there continuities with earlier periods? And if so, what role do long-term continuities play in global health?


Subjects

Medicine / History / Global Health / World History / Government / History of Medicine / Colonialism /