Race & Health Podcast Race & Health

Humans have attempted to make meaning out of our physical differences for centuries. As this thinking evolved, the associations between disease and race grew closer—but not without political intent. This association has polluted our understanding about the relationship between race and health, leading to the continual use of outdated and harmful medical practices and perspectives in clinics around the world. In other words, the history of medical racism is one of colonialism and eugenics. Join us in this episode as we explore what this means, and how this historical evolution impacts today’s medical practice and politics.

 

Guests include Erica Charters, Professor of the Global History of Medicine at the University of Oxford, Carlos López Beltrán, Senior Researcher at Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas, National Autonomous University of Mexico, and Alexandre White, Assistant Professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Sociology and in the Department of the History of Medicine.



Access this episode's official transcript here.

Whose knowledge is represented in our health research, policies, and practice? Who is heard, listened to and believed in our health system, and why? There are differences in not only whose perspectives are represented in society, but also what knowledge is valuable. On this episode of the Race & Health Podcast, we explore the concept of epistemic injustice: the idea that knowledge and systems of knowledge production favour the perspectives of those at the top of the social hierarchy. We will explore how epistemic injustice works, what this means for representation in research, services, and policies, and ultimately, how this relates to racism and health. 

 

This episode's guests include Dr Seye Abimbola, Associate Professor and Principle Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV Medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, and Dr Thirusha Naidu, Head of Clinical Psychology at King Dinuzulu Hospital and an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Public Health at University of KwaZulu-Natal.

In this episode, we shed light on how the social construction of race and its operators take a physiological toll of chronic exposure to racism. We'll discuss maternal and child health, the concept of race and biology, and how constant microaggressions, systemic inequalities, and overt discrimination can lead to a sustained state of stress that goes far beyond mere emotional distress. We will also explore recommendations for our listeners about where our efforts to apply anti-racism in our lives matters, and how we can strive for a future where everyone, regardless of their background, can live a healthy and fulfilling life.

Guests include Dr Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr Arline Geronimus, Professor of Health Behaviour and Health Education at the University of Michigan, and Dr Jonathan Wells, Professor of Anthropology and Paediatric Nutrition at the Population, Policy & Practice Department at UCL.

Eugenics is a concept closely tied to what makes us unwell, and its roots in race medicine amplifies the drivers of racial health inequities, ableism, and white supremacy. Though scientifically flawed, eugenic thinking is present throughout modern-day society and politics. We can see eugenic thinking in policies and protocols throughout the pandemic, through mental health, and much more. Learn about how eugenics was created, how it has been employed, and how today’s public health world is still riddled with this divisive concept. 

 

Guests include Dr Ayah Nuriddin, who's the Cotson postdoctoral fellow in the Society Fellows, and a lecturer, and in the Council of the Humanities in African American Studies at Princeton University, Miss Angela Saini an award-winning journalist and author of books, including Superior, the Return of Race Science, and Professor Marius Turda, professor of biomedicine and director of the Centre for Medical Humanities at Oxford Brookes University. 



Transcript available ⁠here⁠. You can also listen to this podcast on The Lancet Voice.

Populism has a big role in our health, informing and structuring policies that sharpen health inequities along racial and ethnic lines. This episode discusses how structural racism interacts with populist ideology and politics to create health inequities. How does historically divisive discourse and the political systems and institutions that grow from them reinforce inequities? Learn more about these issues with our guests Gustavo Andrey de Almeida Lopes Fernandes, Professor of Public Policy at the A Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil, Alexandra Haas, the executive director of Oxfam Mexico, and Martin McKee, a Professor of European Public Health and Medical Director at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This episode will discuss how populist narratives demonise migrants, US migration policy, social media, and more.



Transcript availble here.

In this first episode of Series 3, we return to the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on minoritised communities, and across the global South. Ayoade Alakija, Chair of the African Vaccine Delivery Alliance, Kevin Fenton, Public Health Director for London, UK, and Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director at the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research will explore this issue by unpacking key themes of power and influence. Drawing from their experiences in public health practice and global health policy, they discuss how racism stratifies power across the community and structural levels, and why communities of colour bear the brunt of the pandemic. How do policies informing preparedness and resource distribution reinforce these differences?  Subscribe to learn more and stay tuned.

Check out more work by our collaborating producers on The Lancet Voice and learn more about the stories behind global health, policy, and clinical research.



Episode Transcript is available here.