Gandhi and the Decolonisation of Global Health

The decolonisation of the global health movement has been a matter of intense debate over the last few years. Recent political actions by leaders in the Global North, particularly the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), call for stronger action by actors in the Global South to strengthen global health. Therefore, this is the right moment for decolonisation in global health to move from rhetoric to action. This essay attempts to inspire action by drawing lessons from the life, struggle and methods of Mahatma Gandhi, who started his life with a Western dream but later led India's freedom movement through his unique approach of ahimsa (non-violence) and satyagraha (truth force). Gandhi's life journey teaches us how decolonisation thoughts develop with the realisation of discrimination and subjugation. His struggles embody how satyagraha can be enforced by applying simple means, such as non-cooperation and civil disobedience, and upheld with strict non-violent means. In global health parlance, Gandhi's concepts can be effectively applied to foster equal and non-subsidiary partnership, based on the principle of Sarvodaya-equal opportunity for the most marginalised. His principle of self-reliance must be invoked to build up national capacities. In addition, everyone involved in global health should strive to be 'the change you want to see in the world'. In the absence of such practice, satyagraha should be invoked to ensure fairness in global health.