Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity has a collaboration with BMJ Leader to share Fellows’ Equity Talks through a dedicated blog series, amplifying health equity perspectives from across our community.
2025 Cohort Blogs
From Potential to Impact: The Case for Investing in Process.
By Nandita Thatte
“In global health, we love products. Guidelines are developed, research results are published, tools are created and commodities are procured. And it makes sense. Products can lead to impact. Global guidelines can change policies at the highest levels. Evidence-based interventions grounded in rigorous research have been shown to save millions of lives. Products are tangible. We can measure them. And what gets measured gets funded. And what gets funded gets sustained. But I believe there is something else that is equally important. Something quieter, less visible, and harder to measure. That is Process…”
Bearing Witness to Rural Inequities of the Past, Alive Today.
By Ali Alshalah
“As health professionals and researchers, we are uniquely placed to bear witness to enduring social inequities. The plight of rural people is a case in point. At best, the dominant reductionist approaches merely patch over the symptoms of inequity and underdevelopment. What we need is to address the historical, political and economic forces that have entrapped rural people and other marginalized communities in poverty and disease…”
The Power of Youth-Led Health Equity Work in Malawi.
By Madalitso Juwayeyi
“While I was excited about the grassroots impact, I wanted to do more beyond my community and in Malawi. That is when the Atlantic Fellowship came into my life. Through the fellowship, I learned about health inequities I had never considered and lessons about systems, transformation and leadership. I realized that the problems we face in Malawi are not different from those being addressed elsewhere in the world. At that moment, I knew my dream was no longer mine alone…”
Unlocking Doors – Ensuring Access to Appropriate Assistive Technology and Empowering Parents for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Ethiopia.
By Zelalem Dessalegn Demeke
“Rehabilitation services are often confined to cities, leaving rural families isolated. Stigma, lack of awareness, and resource scarcity exacerbate disparities. That is why we conduct awareness campaigns via radio, TV, and community sessions to combat myths and promote inclusion. Community perceptions are shifting — more children are brought outside, attending school, and communicating for the first time. Yet, systemic barriers persist…”
2024 Cohort Blogs
Turning Grief into Action: Demanding Justice in Uganda’s Healthcare System.
By Odur Anthony
“Two years define the trajectory of my life: 1994 and 2018. In 1994, I lost my mother. In 2018, I lost my father. Each was a loss traceable to a healthcare system that prioritizes profit over people. My country experienced a major economic shift in 1987, instigated by World Bank and International Monetary Fund policies. The current government embarked on a policy of privatization, withdrawing from essential sectors such as education and health. Public services that had been a lifeline for our people were suddenly left to market forces – available only to those who could afford them…”
A Call for Fair Cancer Care in Pakistan.
By Salima Khowaja
“My work centers around advocacy and increasing health literacy cancer prevention, among those who really need it most; through innovative tools and by engaging them so they take the ownership of their own health. People living with disability find it even harder to navigate through cancer care, and to access the healthcare information materials. There is a crucial need to include them in the designing of health information packages in order to make them more accessible for them…”
The Shifting Global Health Landscape and the Urgency of Local Leadership
By Azua Wilfred
“For those of us working at the intersection of medicine and community health, this moment calls for a reassessment of what truly drives sustainable health outcomes. It is not simply about external funding but the intrinsic values fueling grassroots transformation. My personal and professional journey, shaped by loss, crisis, and deep self-reflection, has reinforced one clear truth: health equity is not just about resources; it is about the leadership, trust, and shared purpose that sustain progress beyond any funding cycle…”
Leading Through Identity and Representation: A Journey in Policy Research and Health Equity
By Jasmine Maringmei
“My journey within policy research and health equity is inextricably linked to my personal history and cultural background and the realization of the gaps that persist in the narratives of Indigenous and marginalized communities. My experience is not merely a personal anecdote but a powerful testament to the necessity of inclusion, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of equity within both health and policy spheres…”
Leading for Vaccine Access in an Age of Mistrust.
By Mario Jimenez
“In today’s health landscape, where public trust is increasingly fragile and misinformation can easily derail well-planned efforts, leadership in immunization demands more than strategic plans. It requires proximity to the communities we serve, cultural awareness and openness to dialogue. As a public health practitioner working in infectious disease prevention, I’ve come to see that the real enablers of vaccine access are not only systems and funding, but the relationships that allow those systems to function…”