Global Health Matters

In part 1 of our episode on the geopolitics of global health, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Ricardo Baptista Leite, who maps his career journey from treating patients with HIV and tropical diseases to serving four terms as a Member of Parliament in Portugal. He is also the founder and president of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, which brings together current and former poli...

Dialogues is a new series from the Global Health Matters podcast where we bring you interviews featuring fresh perspectives on global health issues. The goal of each Dialogue is to break through our echo chambers that exist in global health through in-depth, thoughtful conversations.  In this episode of Dialogues, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Vidya Krishnan, a health-focused Indian investigativ...

According to WHO, improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) can save 1.4 million lives a year. In this episode, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Annie Msosa, the Advocacy Advisor for WaterAid in Malawi, who speaks about a recent cholera outbreak in her country that revealed the dangers of unsafe water in health care facilities. David Wheeler, the Executive Director of the Reckitt Glo...

In this episode, our guests tackle snakebite, a topic suggested by one of our research partner organizations, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Brazil. While snakebite is a neglected public health issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes, and up to 137,880 people die from snake bites. Host Garry Aslanyan speaks with Fan Hui...

The Safeguarding Health in Conflict coalition recently published a report that documented 232 health workers killed, more than 700 incidents where health facilities were damaged and almost 300 health personnel kidnapped in 2022.  This episode dives into the circumstances and risks health workers face in conflict settings. Host Garry Aslanyan speaks to a health worker who has been on the frontline...

Dialogues is a new series from the Global Health Matters podcast that includes interviews with some of the world’s sharpest global health minds and brightest thinkers. The goal of each Dialogue is to go beyond the echo chambers that exist in global health and to have in-depth conversations with guests who have explored global health issues from their multi-disciplinary perspectives. In this episod...

In the second of our history matters episodes suggested by you, our listeners, our two guests reflect on their personal experiences and engage in an intergenerational discussion on the evolution of sexual and reproductive health. Host Garry Aslanyan ’s guests are Carmen Barroso, a lifetime advocate, researcher and implementer for sexual and reproductive health, and Dakshitha Wickremarathne, senior...

This episode brings together two grassroots advocates for clean air who share country case studies from India and South Africa, explaining why it is impossible to have healthy people living on a sick planet. Host Garry Aslanyan navigates the concepts of environmental justice and the impact of air pollution on communities with Shweta Narayan from Health Care Without Harm , who shares how community...

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....

The growing popularity of podcasts as an innovative platform for sharing experiences and views on a wide range of topics was one of the inspirations for starting Global Health Matters . As engaging and learning from our stakeholders is one of our goals, we invited some fellow podcasters and our listeners to join a live Twitter Space discussion on how podcasts are sparking conversations on global h...

How can scientists and diplomats work together to advance the global health agenda?   Ilona Kickbusch, who founded the Global Health Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute, reflects on her experiences working within science diplomacy and the importance of having strong evidence to be able to reach a diplomatic consensus. She also urges scientists to initiate dialogue with policy-makers and diplom...

We kick off the new year with a conversation about new advances in technologies that are transforming public health practice. In this episode, we explore the promise and perils of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, infodemics and the importance of culturally appropriate innovations.    While speaking with Florence 2.0, an AI health worker, host Garry Aslanyan tries to get advice on leading a...

Corruption is one of the most important barriers to implementing universal health coverage around the world; imagine what that world would look like! The subject of corruption in global health is often muted and totally taboo for some to even think it. This podcast episode on corruption is opening up the discussion to a wider audience to understand the scale of the problem for health systems and t...

The seasonal influenza virus, or flu as it is widely known, infects over a billion people a year, resulting in up to 650,000 respiratory deaths annually.    For this Global Health Matters podcast episode TDR have partnered with GISRS, the World Health Organization’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. Podcast host Dr Garry Aslanyan brings together two professors to share their uniqu...

  Global Health Matters is the monthly podcast from TDR, if you like our content then please subscribe. We embrace the fact that public health and global health are intertwined and through our podcast we hope to engage with broader topics bringing together experts from across the globe providing a platform for wider engagement.      For this episode we bring you a topic that rarely reaches the top...

Global Health Matters is the monthly podcast from TDR, please subscribe.  GHMs brings you topical subjects and insightful discussions with health experts from across the globe, including a focus on low-to middle-income countries. Are you a professional looking to progress further or perhaps a global health student at the early stage of your career? There are so many routes to get into a career in...

An important Global Health Matters podcast topic this month, discussing the need to build an awareness of the ways we interact with colleagues in the workplace to adapt our programmes to be more inclusive.  We need to talk about “the future of global health through diversity and dignity”.  Host Garry Aslanyan interviews our special guests who have a deep understanding of diversity and dignity and...

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new global awareness of the accessibility of diagnostics: we need to test to protect with equal access for all. In this episode of Global Health Matters , we answer key questions such as “how available are essential diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)?”   Host Garry Aslanyan interviews our special guests who have a deep understanding of diagn...

What are the differences between the various paths to a disease-free world? Why are we pursuing eradication of some diseases while for others, control or elimination is the more realistic option?   In this episode, host Garry Aslanyan speaks with three experts who answer these questions and more. Uche Amazigo shares lessons she learned during her tenure as the Director of the WHO African Programme...

Episode 12 Championing health equity in South Africa As the world commits to equitable access to medicines and vaccines, is this just on paper or a reality?  In the case of COVID-19, as of early March 2022, 74% of those in high-income countries have been fully vaccinated, compared with just 11% of people in low-income countries. Can South Africa’s experience with tackling HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 poi...

Throughout the first season of Global Health Matters, we’ve covered a range of topics including research during the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling racism within global health, science communication and implementation research. For this bonus episode, host Garry Aslanyan sat down with two of our listeners who shared their reflections on various episodes from Season 1:   Teresa Soop, Senior Research Ad...

What are the colonial legacies in global health? And what impact have they had on how some health and health research programmes are run in Africa? In this episode, we speak to two visionary women leaders who tell us what’s wrong in global health and give concrete steps toward more equitable and inclusive partnerships.  Host Garry Aslanyan speaks with the following guests: Catherine Kyobutungi , E...

Increasingly, digital technologies are transforming the delivery of health services and the functioning of health systems. Many of these technologies have also presented new ways of doing research and informed rapid decision-making. In this episode, we hear how UNICEF worked with Jamaica to rapidly deploy an electronic registry solution for the COVID-19 vaccine. We also learn that the Philippine g...

The World Health Organization recently made the historic recommendation to widely use the first ever malaria vaccine, RTS,S. This recommendation was based on evidence generated from a pilot vaccine implementation programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800 000 children since 2019. This is an excellent example of how evidence based on implementation research tells us whether...

This episode features three renowned communicators of science who work to inform, educate and inspire the public about health issues. Microbiologist Natalia Pasternak has become one of the leading communicators of science in Brazil and internationally. As founder of Instituto Questão de Ciência, she offers advice on how others can set up science communication institutes in their countries.  Imogen...