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Editorial
. 2025 Jul 8:390:r1264.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.r1264.

Decolonisation of global health must include civil society

Kwanele Asante  1 , Francis Chinegwundoh  2 , Rachel Mary Hammonds  3
Affiliations
Editorial

Decolonisation of global health must include civil society

Kwanele Asante et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Power and resource imbalances experienced by African non-government organisations must be remedied to ensure that people with lived experience in the global south can participate meaningfully in creating healthcare policy and practice, write Kwanele Asante, Francis Chinegwundoh, and Rachel Hammonds

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: We have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and declare the following interests: KA was involved in the co-creation and launch of the WHO framework and was paid by WHO in relation to writing this article. KA is co-author of Africa NCDs Network Implementation Plan, is the unremunerated legal and policy adviser of the South African NCD Alliance (SANDCA), and is a representative of SANCDA on the WHO civil society working group on NCDs, and is a member of the PxP steering committee 2025. She served as a member of the NCDA our views, our voice advisory committee and is a member of The BMJ’s patient panel. RMH is renumerated by WHO for work as a consultant focused on health and human rights. FC has no interests to declare.

References

    1. BMJ. Decolonising health and medicine. 2023. https://www.bmj.com/decolonising-health
    1. Richards DP, Bowden J, Gee P, et al. The ultimate power play in research - partnering with patients, partnering with power. Res Involv Engagem 2025;11:65. 10.1186/s40900-025-00745-9 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. WHO. Framework for meaningful engagement of people living with noncommunicable diseases, mental health and neurological conditions. 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073074
    1. Abimbola S. The foreign gaze: essays on global health. IRD editions, 2025.
    1. World Health Organization. Advocating for meaningful engagement of people living with NCDs, mental health and neurological conditions: key messages co-developed by people with lived experience and the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs. 2025. https://knowledge-action-portal.com/en/content/key-advocacy-messages-mea...

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