What About Rural Health?™

Chinasa Imo
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Biweekly

What About Rural Health?™ is a rural health and global health podcast exploring how healthcare is accessed, financed, governed, and delivered in rural and underserved communities. Hosted by Chinasa U. Imo, a global health policy strategist, researcher, and rural health advocate, the podcast brings together policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, community leaders, innovators, and people working directly within health systems to examine the decisions, structures, and conditions shaping rural healthcare. Each episode combines first-hand accounts, expert insights, policy conversations, and research to explore issues such as rural healthcare access, health systems strengthening, health financing, workforce shortages, public health, health policy, technology and innovation, community health, and the institutional factors that determine who receives care, where, and when. With perspectives from the United States, Africa, and other parts of the world, What About Rural Health?™ connects local experiences to larger questions about how health systems are designed, funded, and implemented. From deep-dive interviews to field-based storytelling, the podcast brings rural health into global/local focus and examines both the gaps and the solutions shaping care in underserved communities. Whether you are a health professional, student, researcher, policymaker, advocate, or simply curious about how health systems work beyond major cities, What About Rural Health?™ invites you to rethink global health through a rural lens.

  1. Sep 2

    Investing in Rural Health: Africa’s Next Frontier (Part 2)

    ABOUT THIS EPISODE Part 2 turns from reframing the problem to building workable financing and investment models for African rural health. Chinasa Imo and Serah Makka examine who currently pays for care, why heavy reliance on out-of-pocket spending pushes families further into poverty, and how prevention-focused primary healthcare, insurance, accountable public financing, and selective external support can create a more sustainable system. They also explore local manufacturing, investable proof-of-concept models, the role of domestic investors and African financial institutions, and the potential of AI and technology to reduce costs and expand access. The conversation closes with a call for governments to provide the infrastructure, policy consistency, connectivity, security, and enabling conditions that rural health investment needs, and for rural young people with rural experience to help design the future of care. ABOUT THE GUEST Serah Makka is the Executive Director for Africa at The ONE Campaign. A development finance and policy expert, she brings more than two decades of experience across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East in governance, financial inclusion, technology policy, strategic philanthropy, sustainable financing, innovation, and accountability. IN THIS CONVERSATION • Why out-of-pocket spending remains a dominant and impoverishing source of health financing• The role of primary healthcare, subnational governments, insurance, and public accountability• Building African pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing capacity• Moving rural health from a grant-dependent model to an investable sector• Why proof of concept and locally grounded innovation matter to investors• The importance of domestic investors, policy consistency, and regulatory clarity• How African development finance institutions can support bankable rural health projects• Using AI, drones, connectivity, and data to reduce costs and improve access• Government’s responsibility for roads, security, communications, and an enabling investment environment• Preparing rural young people to become the architects of future rural health systems CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction and return to the conversation00:42 — What rural health financing means in the African context02:46 — Primary healthcare and subnational responsibility04:43 — Insurance, domestic financing, and the proper role of donors05:12 — Local manufacturing and regional health-product markets08:20 — Innovation, accountability, and reducing system leakages10:19 — From cost reduction to rural health investment12:55 — Proof of concept and locally grounded business models16:29 — Political stability, policy consistency, and domestic investors18:47 — Break19:07 — African financial institutions and bankable projects21:08 — AI, technology, connectivity, and rural access25:13 — What governments must do to enable investment27:37 — Key takeaways: rural health as an investment frontier28:35 — Redesigning rural health financing through rural education and leadership30:20 — Closing reflections RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE The ONE Campaign: https://www.one.org/What About Rural Health?™: https://whataboutruralhealth.com/ WATCH THE EPISODE Click here to watch a video of this episode. READ THE TRANSCRIPT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ What About Rural Health?™ explores how healthcare is accessed, financed, governed, and delivered in rural and underserved communities. Hosted by Chinasa U. Imo, the podcast brings together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, community leaders, innovators, and people working within health systems to examine the decisions and structures shaping rural healthcare around the world. Visit: https://whataboutruralhealth.com/ WORK WITH WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ For guest, partnership, sponsorship, media, and collaboration inquiries, contact us at: info@whataboutruralhealth.com for speaking engagements, podcast guesting, workshop hosting, cohort leads, discussion facilitation, and course instruction. SUPPORT WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ ★ Support this podcast ★ NEWSLETTER Subscribe to our newsletter FOLLOW WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/what-about-rural-health%E2%84%A2YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthFacebook: https://facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1X: https://x.com/Ruralist_Health

    Investing in Rural Health: Africa’s Next Frontier (Part 2)

  2. Sep 2

    Investing in Rural Health: Africa’s Next Frontier (Part 1)

    ABOUT THIS EPISODE In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Chinasa Imo and Serah Makka challenge the familiar framing of African rural health as a story of scarcity, charity, and basic service delivery. They explore why rural health should instead be understood as a strategic investment frontier, one connected to economic opportunity, research and development, workforce innovation, digital health, disease surveillance, climate resilience, and public health security. The conversation examines how global health narratives are formed, what Africa’s response to COVID-19 and mpox reveals about the continent’s resilience, and why African countries must strengthen their collective negotiating power. Serah also outlines practical financing approaches, including diaspora-funded health insurance, debt-for-health swaps, and structured agreements for health-worker mobility that protect workers while reinvesting in African health systems. ABOUT THE GUEST Serah Makka is the Executive Director for Africa at The ONE Campaign. A development finance and policy expert, she brings more than two decades of experience across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East in governance, financial inclusion, technology policy, strategic philanthropy, sustainable financing, innovation, and accountability. IN THIS CONVERSATION • Reframing rural health from charity and deficit to strategy and opportunity• How negative global narratives obscure African resilience and health-system successes• The origins and power dynamics of the global health architecture• Why sustainable African health financing requires greater domestic ownership• Diaspora-funded insurance and the HealthBridge concept• Debt-for-health swaps as a financing mechanism• Turning health-worker migration from brain drain into structured, mutually beneficial mobility• Why African countries need regional and continental bargaining power CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction: rethinking rural health financing04:21 — Introducing Serah Makka05:53 — Misunderstood narratives about health in Africa08:39 — Africa’s place in global health systems and vaccine value chains13:19 — How the global health architecture was built15:42 — Moving from recipient status toward African financial agency18:27 — Why sustainable financing must be led by Africans22:13 — Reimagining health financing amid debt and shrinking aid24:19 — Diaspora-funded health insurance and HealthBridge27:05 — Debt-for-health swaps28:05 — Health-worker mobility, protection, and reinvestment32:14 — Building continental leverage34:23 — What rural health investment means beyond clinics35:20 — Closing reflections RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE The ONE CampaignWhat About Rural Health?™: https://whataboutruralhealth.com/Share a rural health story WATCH THE EPISODE Click here to watch a video of this episode. READ THE TRANSCRIPT ABOUT WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ What About Rural Health?™ explores how healthcare is accessed, financed, governed, and delivered in rural and underserved communities. Hosted by Chinasa U. Imo, the podcast brings together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, community leaders, innovators, and people working within health systems to examine the decisions and structures shaping rural healthcare around the world. Visit: https://whataboutruralhealth.com/ WORK WITH WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ For guest, partnership, sponsorship, media, and collaboration inquiries: contact us at info@whataboutruralhealth.com. For speaking engagements, podcast guesting, workshop hosting, cohort leads, discussion facilitation, and course instruction. SUPPORT WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ ★ Support this podcast ★ NEWSLETTER Subscribe to our newsletter FOLLOW WHAT ABOUT RURAL HEALTH?™ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/what-about-rural-health%E2%84%A2YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthFacebook: https://facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1X: https://x.com/Ruralist_Health

    Investing in Rural Health: Africa’s Next Frontier (Part 1)

  3. Aug 15

    Can Holistic Care Make Rural Healthcare More Affordable? (Part 2) | Dr Jess Armine | What About Rural Health

    Is modern fragmented medical care ruining healthcare practice?  Can holistic care help make rural healthcare more affordable, coordinated, and accessible? In this episode of What About Rural Health, host Chinasa Imo sits down with Dr Jess Armine,  DC, RN, a physician, nurse, paramedic, and functional medicine expert with 50 years of healthcare experience, to explore how holistic, integrated care could transform rural healthcare and make it more affordable. Dr. Armen takes us inside the cell to explain why modern medicine's fragmentation is failing patients, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mitochondrial function, and why listening to the patient is still the most powerful diagnostic tool we have. In This Episode, we discuss: The Fragmentation Problem – Why specialization has broken the "whole person" approach to careThe Cellular Perspective – How mitochondrial dysfunction is at the root of chronic illnessThe Cost of Fragmented Care – Why patients are turning to "Dr. Google" and what that says about the systemThe Nurse Practitioner Opportunity – Why NPs are best positioned to fill the primary care gap in rural areasThe Insurance Barrier – How reimbursement models dictate care delivery and limit holistic approachesA Path Forward – Practical models for integrating holistic care in rural communities#whataboutruralhealth #podcast #healthequity #ruralhealth #interview #healthcare #healthfinancing #podmatch Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/chinasaimo Email us: info@whataboutruralhealth.comVisit our website: What About Rural Health? Subscribe, share your thoughts, and stay connected. Follow us on all platforms: facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthx.com/Ruralist_Healthwww.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthwww.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthwww.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1LinkedIn.com/whataboutruralhealth ★ Support this podcast ★

    Can Holistic Care Make Rural Healthcare More Affordable? (Part 2) | Dr Jess Armine | What About Rural Health

  4. Aug 15

    Can Holistic Care Make Rural Healthcare More Affordable? (Part 1) | Dr Jess Armine | What About Rural Health

    Is modern fragmented medical care ruining healthcare practice?  Can holistic care help make rural healthcare more affordable, coordinated, and accessible? In this episode of What About Rural Health, host Chinasa Imo sits down with Dr Jess Armine,  DC, RN, a physician, nurse, paramedic, and functional medicine expert with 50 years of healthcare experience, to explore how holistic, integrated care could transform rural healthcare and make it more affordable. Dr. Armen takes us inside the cell to explain why modern medicine's fragmentation is failing patients, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mitochondrial function, and why listening to the patient is still the most powerful diagnostic tool we have. In This Episode, we discuss: The Fragmentation Problem – Why specialization has broken the "whole person" approach to careThe Cellular Perspective – How mitochondrial dysfunction is at the root of chronic illnessThe Cost of Fragmented Care – Why patients are turning to "Dr. Google" and what that says about the systemThe Nurse Practitioner Opportunity – Why NPs are best positioned to fill the primary care gap in rural areasThe Insurance Barrier – How reimbursement models dictate care delivery and limit holistic approachesA Path Forward – Practical models for integrating holistic care in rural communities#whataboutruralhealth #podcast #healthequity #ruralhealth #interview #healthcare #healthfinancing #podmatch Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/chinasaimo Email us: info@whataboutruralhealth.comVisit our website: What About Rural Health? Subscribe, share your thoughts, and stay connected. Follow us on all platforms: facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthx.com/Ruralist_Healthwww.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthwww.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthwww.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1LinkedIn.com/whataboutruralhealth ★ Support this podcast ★

    Can Holistic Care Make Rural Healthcare More Affordable? (Part 1) | Dr Jess Armine | What About Rural Health

  5. Aug 1

    Rural Health Financing Through Strong National Health Systems (Part 2) | Sarah Fox | What About Rural Health

    How can countries move beyond donor dependency to build sustainable health systems that actually serve rural communities? In this episode of What About Rural Health, host Chinasa sits down with Sarah Fox, a global health financing expert with over 20 years of experience in reproductive health and family planning programs across low- and middle-income countries. Together, they unpack: Why project-based funding keeps countries in a dependency mode The difference between "innovative projects" and true health system innovation How decentralisation, public financial management, and data transparency can strengthen primary healthcare Real-world examples from Kenya, Nigeria, and Madagascar on operationalising national health policies The critical role of community participation in health financing decisions Practical models like Nigeria's sector-wide approach and UNFPA's matching fund initiative If you care about universal health coverage, rural health equity, or sustainable development, this conversation is for you.  #whataboutruralhealth #podcast #healthequity #ruralhealth #interview #healthcare #healthfinancing #podmatch Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/chinasaimo Email us: info@whataboutruralhealth.comVisit our website: What About Rural Health? Subscribe, share your thoughts, and stay connected. Follow us on all platforms: facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthx.com/Ruralist_Healthwww.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthwww.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthwww.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1LinkedIn.com/whataboutruralhealth #RuralHealth #HealthFinancing #UniversalHealthCoverage #GlobalHealth #PrimaryHealthcare #HealthSystems #Podcast #Nigeria #Kenya #PublicHealth ★ Support this podcast ★

    Rural Health Financing Through Strong National Health Systems (Part 2) | Sarah Fox | What About Rural Health

  6. Aug 1

    Rural Health Financing Through Strong National Health Systems (Part 1) | Sarah Fox | What About Rural Health

    How can countries move beyond donor dependency to build sustainable health systems that actually serve rural communities? In this episode of What About Rural Health, host Chinasa sits down with Sarah Fox, a global health financing expert with over 20 years of experience in reproductive health and family planning programs across low- and middle-income countries. Together, they unpack: Why project-based funding keeps countries in a dependency mode The difference between "innovative projects" and true health system innovation How decentralisation, public financial management, and data transparency can strengthen primary healthcare Real-world examples from Kenya, Nigeria, and Madagascar on operationalising national health policies The critical role of community participation in health financing decisions Practical models like Nigeria's sector-wide approach and UNFPA's matching fund initiative If you care about universal health coverage, rural health equity, or sustainable development, this conversation is for you.  #whataboutruralhealth #podcast #healthequity #ruralhealth #interview #healthcare #healthfinancing #podmatch Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/chinasaimo Email us: info@whataboutruralhealth.comVisit our website: What About Rural Health? Subscribe, share your thoughts, and stay connected. Follow us on all platforms: facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthx.com/Ruralist_Healthwww.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthwww.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthwww.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1LinkedIn.com/whataboutruralhealth #RuralHealth #HealthFinancing #UniversalHealthCoverage #GlobalHealth #PrimaryHealthcare #HealthSystems #Podcast #Nigeria #Kenya #PublicHealth ★ Support this podcast ★

    Rural Health Financing Through Strong National Health Systems (Part 1) | Sarah Fox | What About Rural Health

  7. Jul 17

    Rural Health Financing and the Power of Data | Cameron Sabet | What About Rural Health

    In this episode of What About Rural Health, we speak with Cameron Sabet about rural health financing, the power of data, and how better information can shape stronger rural health systems. Cameron Sabet is an award-winning researcher, health policy expert, and medical data scientist whose work focuses on surgical outcomes, global health equity, health system financing, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in medicine. He is a Senior Staff with The Lancet–IHME Global Burden of Disease Initiative and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. This conversation examines how rural health is funded, how data influence policy and investment decisions, and why health leaders need stronger evidence to improve care for rural and underserved communities. We discuss: - Rural health financing and why it matters - How data can guide better health policy - What funders, policymakers, and health leaders should understand about rural health - The connection between health systems, equity, and investment - How can evidence support better decisions for underserved communities This episode is for public health and medical students, early career professionals, community leaders, policymakers, health system leaders, researchers, and anyone interested in rural health, health financing, and the future of care. Subscribe to What About Rural Health for conversations on rural health, health systems, governance, community health, and health policy. #whataboutruralhealth #podcast #healthequity #ruralhealth #interview #healthcare #healthfinancing #podmatch Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/chinasaimo Email us: info@whataboutruralhealth.comVisit our website: What About Rural Health? Subscribe, share your thoughts, and stay connected. Follow us on all platforms: facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthx.com/Ruralist_Healthwww.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthwww.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthwww.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1LinkedIn.com/whataboutruralhealth ★ Support this podcast ★

    Rural Health Financing and the Power of Data | Cameron Sabet | What About Rural Health

  8. Jul 1

    Rural Heart Health and the EECP Access crisis (Part 2) | Jack Clifford | What About Rural Health

    When Jack Clifford was told he needed open-heart surgery after being diagnosed with a blocked "widowmaker" artery, he chose a path few patients ever hear about. His decision led him to Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP). a little-known, non-invasive therapy that changed his life and sparked a mission to make it accessible to others. In this episode, Jack shares his remarkable journey, explores why EECP remains one of medicine's most underutilized therapies, and discusses what limited access means for patients, especially those in rural and underserved communities. It's a conversation about healthcare, hope, and the questions every patient deserves to ask. If you'd like to learn more about EECP therapy or find an EECP provider near you, visit eecplocator.com . To get Jack Clifford's book, EECP: The Most Underutilized Therapy in Medicine*, visit *eecpbook.com and use the code *PODCAST-FREE* to download your free copy, or search for the book on Amazon. #whataboutruralhealth #podcast #healthequity #ruralhealth #interview #healthcare #healthfinancing #podmatch Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/chinasaimo Email us: info@whataboutruralhealth.comVisit our website: What About Rural Health? Subscribe, share your thoughts, and stay connected. Follow us on all platforms: facebook.com/whataboutruralhealthx.com/Ruralist_Healthwww.instagram.com/whataboutruralhealthwww.youtube.com/@WhatAboutRuralHealthwww.tiktok.com/@whataboutruralhealth1LinkedIn.com/whataboutruralhealth ★ Support this podcast ★

    Rural Heart Health and the EECP Access crisis (Part 2) | Jack Clifford | What About Rural Health
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5
out of 5
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About

What About Rural Health?™ is a rural health and global health podcast exploring how healthcare is accessed, financed, governed, and delivered in rural and underserved communities. Hosted by Chinasa U. Imo, a global health policy strategist, researcher, and rural health advocate, the podcast brings together policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, community leaders, innovators, and people working directly within health systems to examine the decisions, structures, and conditions shaping rural healthcare. Each episode combines first-hand accounts, expert insights, policy conversations, and research to explore issues such as rural healthcare access, health systems strengthening, health financing, workforce shortages, public health, health policy, technology and innovation, community health, and the institutional factors that determine who receives care, where, and when. With perspectives from the United States, Africa, and other parts of the world, What About Rural Health?™ connects local experiences to larger questions about how health systems are designed, funded, and implemented. From deep-dive interviews to field-based storytelling, the podcast brings rural health into global/local focus and examines both the gaps and the solutions shaping care in underserved communities. Whether you are a health professional, student, researcher, policymaker, advocate, or simply curious about how health systems work beyond major cities, What About Rural Health?™ invites you to rethink global health through a rural lens.

Information

  • Creator
    Chinasa Imo
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © What About Rural Health?™ LLC
  • Show Website
    What About Rural Health?™