News Releases

UWI experts call out lack of Caribbean representation on Global Health Commission

For Release Upon Receipt - June 23, 2023

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Friday, June 23, 2023 — Public health experts from The University of the West Indies (The UWI) have expressed concern over the lack of  Caribbean representation on the O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination and Global Health; a commission tasked with identifying and promoting the implementation of anti-racist actions and strategies by states, civil society actors, and global health institutions, to reduce structural discrimination.

In an article published by The Lancet, one of the world’s leading general medical journals and co-convenor of the Commission, Dr Sandeep Maharaj, Associate Dean and Lecturer – Faculty of Medical Sciences, The UWI, St. Augustine; Dr Darleen Y. Franco, Public Health and Primary Care Physician, Northwest Regional Health Authority, Trinidad & Tobago; and Professor Terence Seemungal, Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The UWI, St. Augustine articulate their concerns; “It is rather disappointing and somewhat sad The Lancet can have a Commission on racism, structural discrimination and global health and not have a single commissioner from the Caribbean.” Pointing to history, the article states “The entire (Caribbean) region was born out of colonization by people who felt entitled to take land that belonged to the indigenous people and almost wiped them off the face of the planet, either violently, or via one of the first massive global health transfers of disease (especially smallpox).”

Noting that the inequities are still very present, the public health experts argue “Even though a century has passed since the abolition of slavery and the end of indentureship, inequities in the region still exist today.” They referenced evidence in ‘the COVID-19 vaccine scandal’ which saw the Caribbean in a long queue to purchase vaccines. The article concludes that despite myriad challenges “Caribbean people have made tremendous contributions globally to all aspects of development and the Caribbean must be allowed to articulate its views, particularly in areas of racism and structural discrimination.” 

Officially convened in March 2023, the Commission was founded on the recognition that racism, not race, creates and maintains unjust and avoidable health inequities in countries around the world. It will leverage partnerships and engage communities for research to diagnose the problem of racism in health, publish public reports of the findings and foster policy dialogue. The Commission hopes to use its empirical research to identify best practices and actionable anti-racist strategies.

The twenty-two member, cross-sector team will conduct its work under the leadership of co-chairs Tialeng Mofookeng, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health and Ngozi Erondu, Senior Scholar, O’Neill Institute & Technical Director, Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE).  Commissioners represent the African continent, Europe, North and South American, South and Western Asia, Australia and The Pacific Islands, and have worked and conducted research globally.

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About The O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination and Global Health

The O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination and Global Health is founded on the recognition that racism, rather than race, creates and maintains unjust and avoidable health inequities in countries around the world. The Commission will identify and promote the implementation of anti-racist actions and strategies by states, civil society actors, and global health institutions, in order to reduce structural discrimination through targeted research and collaborations that will foster policy dialogue within and across sectors that impact health and wellbeing. 

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for the past 75 years.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University. 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu  

 

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