Table 2

Problems and solutions related to decolonising global health as articulated by study authors

Author yearProblemSolutions
Adams et al 201633Inequitable partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships.Guidelines for ethical engagement with partners.
Beavis et al 201539Without proper training, global health practitioners, researchers, students and learning institutions can be agents of colonialism.Provide training in postcolonialism; engage in postcolonial practices.
Citrin et al 201738Inequitable partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships.Create more equitable partnerships with LMIC partners by promoting two-way dialogue and confronting power dynamics.
Cole et al 201140None directly related to decolonising global health. Educational problem: lack of clearly articulated competencies in global health.None directly related to decolonising global health. Educational solution: develop clearly defined global health competencies.
Crump et al 201034Inequitable and unethical partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships.Guidelines for ethical engagement with partners.
Eichbaum 201741Without proper training, global health practitioners, researchers, students and learning institutions can be agents of colonialism.Use global health-specific competencies for learner assessment which have been developed in partnership with LMIC partners; provide training in cultural context (eg, collectivism).
Eichbaum et al 202135Inequitable partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships.Create more equitable partnerships with LMIC partners through critical reflection and concomitant action.
Evert 201551Inequitable partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships.Create more equitable partnerships with LMIC partners through asset-based educational programmes.
Ferrel et al 202052None related to global health. Educational problem: poor understanding among residents of the barriers that patients who live in the Bronx face.Global health training in social medicine which includes critical race theory, structural competency and intersectionality.
Finnegan et al 201742Imposition of colonial hierarchies in global partnerships, student demographics and poor understanding of social factors in LMICs which create health disparities (social medicine).Training in social medicine focused on praxis, critical self-awareness and equitable partnerships.
Garba et al 202143Global health training strategies reinforce colonial power differentials and disproportionately benefit HIC institutions.Appropriate training for learners, equitable partnerships and institutional changes.
Harvey et al 202036Poor understanding of harmful social structures, some of which arose from colonialism, perpetuates social and health inequities.Training in structural inequities/structural competency; system-levels interventions.
Holden and Satcher 201650Global health inequity.Training to promote health equity and guidelines for global health initiatives.
Hutchins et al 201453International immersion programmes do not develop cultural competencies in and of themselves (ie, inadequate training provided in global service-learning programmes).Culturally immersive learning experiences which incorporate principles of ‘cultural competency 2.0’.
Jacobsen et al 202160None directly related to decolonising global health. Educational problem: lack of clearly articulated global health ‘field of graduate study and practice’.None directly related to decolonising global health. Educational solution: examine global health concentrations.
Lattanzi and Pechak 201144Inequitable partnerships in global health education and practice can be harmful to LMIC partners and communities.Ethical engagement with LMIC partners.
Lokugamage et al 202045Colonised ideas of healing result in poor patient care and health inequities.Proper training of HCPs to meet the needs of diverse populations.
McKinnon et al 201649Inadequate training provided in global service-learning programmes.Creation of a framework for global service-learning programmes which promotes community-driven learning experiences and critically reflective practice.
Myers and Fredrick 201754The structure of global health learning experiences perpetuates global power hierarchies and may not provide adequate training to students.Ethical engagement with LMIC partners (longitudinal involvement, student investment/commitment).
Neff et al 202055HCPs are not adequately trained to respond to the effects of social, political and economic structures.Training HCPs to respond to the effects of social, political, economic structures (eg, colonialism) to provide better patient care.
Rabin et al 202137Inequitable partnerships in global health education which can replicate past colonial relationships.Equitable institutional partnerships and representative leadership.
Racine and Perron 201246HCPs not adequately trained to address the effects of colonialism in ‘cross-cultural placements’.Training HCPs to respond to the effects of colonialism to provide better patient care, through cultural safety and ‘decolonising the mind’.
Sbaiti et al 202159The structure of global health education perpetuates global power hierarchies and may not provide adequate training to students.Codesign curricula with individuals with ‘lived experience’.
Shah et al 201947Inequitable and unethical partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships.Equitable and ethical engagement with LMIC partners.
Ventres and Wilson 202048Inequitable and unethical partnerships in global health education and practice which can replicate past colonial relationships and negatively impact learning and professional development.Proper training will lead to better provision of care and more equitable partnerships.
Willott et al 201956Inequitable and unethical partnerships in global health education and practice which focus more on the learner than the impact on the community can replicate past colonial relationships.More equitable engagement with partners; more structured electives.
Wu et al 202158Structure of global health learning experiences perpetuates global power hierarchies and is inherently inequitable.‘Consider alternative ways to teach international skills’ such as virtual engagement.
Zaidi et al 201757Lack of cross-cultural dialogue in culturally diverse classrooms leads to cultural hegemony.Training facilitators to promote cross-cultural dialogue will be a counter to cultural hegemony.
  • HCP, healthcare providers; LMIC, low-income and middle-income countries.