Collaborations in global health are often aimed at addressing specific public health needs in low-resource settings. However, these collaborations are often impacted by power imbalances between participants. These hierarchies can limit the involvement of individuals from low-resource settings in decision-making processes and can lead to outcomes that favor those with higher resources.
A study conducted by investigators from Yale School of Medicine and the University of Liberia’s College of Health Services examined the experiences of collaborators in post-war, post-Ebola Liberia. Through interviews with participants, researchers found that the power to set priorities for global health work was primarily held by those with financial resources, with plans being implemented to meet the expectations of donors.
The study emphasizes the need to address accountability in global health partnerships to promote greater equity for participants in low-resource settings. Factors contributing to this power imbalance included the donor’s history of engagement, as well as their levels of transparency and accountability. The study highlights the importance of promoting greater equity in global health collaborations to ensure that all participants have a voice and that decisions are made with their input in mind.
For more information on this study, titled “Exploring equity in global health collaborations: a qualitative study of donor and recipient power dynamics in Liberia,” by Cakouros et al., published in BMJ Global Health, visit