Reimagining global health: From decolonisation to indigenization

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Indigenous Studies
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Recent movements for racial justice and Indigenous sovereignty have spurred calls to decolonize global health.
• Existing calls for decolonization are seen as promising yet insufficient for fundamental change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically reassess the ontological foundations of global health rooted in Western thought.
• To explore the role of Indigenous ontologies in deconstructing and reimagining global health.
• To propose a path toward an Indigenized reimagining of global health.

Main Methods:

• Identification of four key Western ontological assumptions prevalent in global health.
• Analysis of how Indigenous ontologies can challenge and transcend these Western assumptions.

Main Results:

• Four specific Western ontological assumptions relevant to global health were identified.
• Demonstration of how Indigenous ontologies provide alternative frameworks for understanding global health.
• A pathway is suggested for reconstructing global health through an Indigenous lens.

Conclusions:

• Decolonizing global health necessitates a deeper engagement with its Western ontological underpinnings.
• Indigenous ontologies are crucial for deconstructing existing paradigms and fostering a more equitable global health.
• Reimagining global health requires integrating Indigenous worldviews to create a reconstructed, Indigenized approach.