Episodes

  • Episode 9 - Health as a Bridge for Peace: Ceasefire Immunization Programmes in Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s

    Episode 9 - Health as a Bridge for Peace: Ceasefire Immunization Programmes in Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s
    Apr 22 2026

    The ninth episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Dr Eline van Ommen (Associate Professor in International History at the University of Leeds), focuses on the role played by health interventions in facilitating peacebuilding in societies fractured by civil war. It examines the concept of health as a common good, an ideal shared by all participants in conflict. In the 1980s the Pan-American Health Organization (the WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas) recognized that the particular importance of immunization was accepted across the political spectrum, as fundamental to child survival. Programmes aimed at preventing childhood infection were developed not only to address a vital health need, but also as a means to build political dialogue and cooperation. This podcast analyses the medical and political successes of this campaign, featuring interviews with two individuals who played prominent roles in the ceasefire immunization programmes in Latin America:

    Dr. Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, a physician and infectious disease epidemiologist, is currently the lead for the Research and Development Blueprint for Epidemics within the WHO's Health Emergency Program. In the early 1990s, she was the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) immunization advisor in El Salvador and Nicaragua.

    Mark Schneider was the Chief, Office of Analysis and Strategic Planning of PAHO/WHO in the 1980s, and Coordinator of the Central American initiative "Health as a Bridge for Peace”. He represented PAHO at several of the Central American peace summits which led to the Esquipulas Accords and to the peace agreements ending the Central American conflicts.

    Further Reading

    Ciro de Quadros and Daniel Epstein, ‘Health as a bridge for peace: PAHO's experience’, The Lancet, 360, 2002, s25-s26 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)11808-3/fulltext

    Leonard Rubenstein, ‘Defying expectations: Polio vaccination programs amid political and armed conflict’, Washington: United States Institute of Peace, 2010. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB%2064%20-%20Polio%20Vaccination%20Programs%20Amid%20Political%20and%20Armed%20Conflict.pdf

    Ian Russell, Laura Wise, and Sanja Badanjak, ‘Breathing Space: Vaccination Ceasefires in Armed Conflict’, PeaceRep Publications, 2021 https://era.ed.ac.uk/server/api/core/bitstreams/3e29e882-1899-487c-9232-c394ef9297fe/content

    Mark Schneider, 'Health as a Bridge to Peace', World Health, October 1987 https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/97da7914-f723-4034-8de6-f78205143f53/content

    ‘Health as a Bridge for Peace’, Making a World of Difference: Stories About Global Health Exhibition. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/makingaworldofdifference/collection-detail.html?imgid=28&imgName=OB9416-md
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 8 - Socialist tropical medicine and malariology

    Episode 8 - Socialist tropical medicine and malariology
    Mar 16 2026
    The eighth episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Shane Doyle (Professor of African History and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds), focuses on an important but little-known aspect of global health history, the role of socialist models of disease control in shaping malaria programmes in the global south. This is a subject of substantial relevance in a period when health has, again, become intensely politicised. The discussion features an interview with two experts in socialist malariology: Dr Marek Eby, an historian of infectious disease control programs and the Soviet Union. Marek is a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds on the Wellcome Trust-funded project ‘The Soviet Union, the WHO, and Global Health, 1957-1991’; and Dr Bogdan Iacob, a researcher at the "Nicolae Iorga" Institute of History in Bucharest and at the Institute for Habsburg and Balkan Studies in Vienna, who has published widely on the impact of Eastern European medical teams on disease control in newly independent countries in the global south. This episode highlights the distinctive contribution made by researchers from Russia and southeastern Europe in the development of malaria control programmes in the global south. In particular, the discussion emphasises how malariologists from this region pressed international agencies like the WHO to adopt anti-malaria strategies that were radical in nature. In contrast to ‘vertical’ colonial or American-led approaches, socialist malariologists argued that malaria control only worked where it was comprehensive in scope: multi-regional, multisectoral, and tied to rural transformation. As the podcast reveals, this approach reflected not only Soviet ideology, but also medical cultures shaped by the modernism of late-Tsarist Russian imperialism and interwar nation-building in Eastern Europe. In analysing the obstacles faced by socialist malariology within the structures of global health, the episode draws out several key legacies for contemporary health politics, most obviously the human cost associated with the politically-inspired withdrawal of global health funding by the world’s wealthiest nations. Further reading: Eby, Marek. Cold War Form, International Content?: The Martsinovskii Institute, The World Health Organization, and the Wider Networks of International Malariology, 1950s–1980s. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350423985.ch-10. Iacob, Bogdan. Malariology and Decolonization: Eastern European Experts from the League of Nations to the World Health Organization. Journal of Global History. 2022;17(2):233-253. WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases: https://tdr.who.int/our-history https://tdrstrategy.org/history-and-achievements/ The Soviet Union, the WHO and Global Health, 1957-1991
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Episode 7 - Faith-Based Organisations and pandemic preparedness

    Episode 7 - Faith-Based Organisations and pandemic preparedness
    Mar 6 2026
    The seventh episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Shane Doyle (Professor of African History and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds), focuses on faith-based organisations’ response to pandemics. The podcast features interviews with four individuals who were nominated by the WHO Faith Network: Professor Emma Tomalin, Professor of Religion and Public Life at the University of Leeds, currently researching on Faith-Based Organisations and pandemic preparedness; Monsignor Robert Vitillo, Caritas Internationalis special advisor on HIV/AIDS, and Senior Advisor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development; Reverend Christiana Sutton-Koroma, a key figure in interfaith efforts to control Sierra Leone’s 2014-16 Ebola epidemic; and Rehanah Sadiq, Senior Muslim Chaplain within the UK’s National Health Service, former advisor to the World Health Organisation on the adaptation of Islamic burial practices in pandemic contexts. While these interviews demonstrate that the roles played by faith communities during health emergencies have been diverse, a number of topics recur. Some defining characteristics of faith-based interventions have been constant over the centuries: a focus on dying with dignity, on supporting the families of the very sick, and on addressing societal trauma during periods of crisis. Other themes have developed in significance during recent pandemics: a recognition that faith leaders are ideally placed to counter medical misinformation and loss of trust; a willingness to direct moral advocacy towards issues of health inequity; and the development of close collaborative partnerships with Ministries of Health and United Nations Organisations. Additional links Centre for Global Health Histories WHO Faith Network https://cdcmuseum.org/exhibits/show/ebola/communicationandparticipation/faith-culture-tradition/faith-leaders Sarah Hess, Sally Smith, and Shanmugapriya Umachandran, ‘Faith as a complex system: engaging with the faith sector for strengthened health emergency preparedness and response’, The Lancet Global Health, 2024; 12 (11): e1750-e1751 P. Lyons et al., ‘Engaging religious leaders to promote safe burial practices during the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak, Sierra Leone’, Bulletin of the World Health Organisation. 2021 Apr 1; 99 (4): 271-279.
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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • Episode 6 - Health Inequities and Disability

    Episode 6 - Health Inequities and Disability
    Feb 25 2026
    Episode 6 Health Inequities and Disability - show notes The sixth episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Shane Doyle (Professor of African History and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds), focuses on disability and health inequities. The podcast features interviews with: Professor Jessica Meyer, Professor of British Social and Cultural History at the University of Leeds. Jessica is a specialist in the history of health inequities experienced by veterans with disabilities after the First World War (01:34); and with Dr Kaloyan Kamenov, who currently leads the World Health Organization program on disability, and helps coordinate the WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative (27:26). 1.3 billion people, around a sixth of the world’s population, live with disability. In the recent pandemic, COVID-related mortality among people with disabilities was 2.7 times higher than in the rest of the global population. This relative disadvantage is not a new phenomenon – in a series of studies analysing mortality due to all causes, people with disabilities were found to have a mortality rate that was around twice as high as people without disabilities. Much of this elevated risk of death is due to factors which are avoidable. In November 2025, the World Health Organisation launched a Disability Health Equity Network aiming to address the structural disadvantages which affect people with disabilities as they engage with health systems around the world. This episode discusses the ambitions of this new WHO program, and considers the significance of the First World War in the long history of efforts to achieve health equity for people with disabilities. Discussion focuses on a series of key issues: the importance of stimulating a demand for equitable health access; the prioritisation of ensuring state recognition of health equity as a right; and the challenges of achieving broad-based progress when health budgets are under pressure. For further reading, see: https://www.who.int/health-topics/disability#tab=tab_1 WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative World Health Organisation, Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities (2022) https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/expert-opinion/why-healthcare-leaving-people-disabilities-behind https://menwomenandcare.leeds.ac.uk/ Jessica Meyer, ‘“He does not appear to have done much useful work since he was wounded”: Age, disability, and the history of masculinity’, Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies, 25, 1, May 2022: 41-58 Emre Umucu et al., ‘Health inequities among persons with disabilities: a global scoping review’, Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 13, Feb 2025 10;13:1538519.
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    49 mins
  • Episode 5 - Adolescent maternal and reproductive health

    Episode 5 - Adolescent maternal and reproductive health
    Jan 27 2026
    The fifth episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Shane Doyle (Professor of African History and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds), focuses on adolescent maternal and reproductive health, particularly in the Global South. The discussion features an interview with: Dr Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, who led work on adolescent health in the World Health Organization from 2005 until his retirement in 2023, first in the Department of Child and Adolescent Health, and then in the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. The episode discusses the particular health risks, both physical and mental, associated with adolescent reproduction. Adolescent mothers face elevated risks of conditions such as eclampsia, systemic infections, and postnatal depression, while their babies are more likely to be born preterm or with complications. While globally the adolescent birth rate has fallen since 2000, this decline has been extremely uneven, between and within countries. In this episode, discussion focuses on the reasons why adolescent reproduction continues to be marginalised within health systems, why progress has reversed in some societies, and why adolescent pregnancy is increasingly associated with various forms of vulnerability. Additional links Blum RW, Chandra-Mouli V.’ Where We Are and How We Got Here: Taking Stock of the State of Global Adolescent Health’. J Adolesc Health. 2024 Oct;75(4S):S6-S8. Centre for Global Health Histories Chung, W.H, Kim, ME., Lee, J. ‘Comprehensive understanding of risk and protective factors related to adolescent pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review’. Journal of Adolescence. 2018; 69: 180-188. UNFPA, My Body, My Life, My World: A global Strategy for Adolescents and Youth World Health Organisation, Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights
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    36 mins
  • Episode 4 - Maternal health and maternal mortality

    Episode 4 - Maternal health and maternal mortality
    Jan 13 2026
    The fourth episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Shane Doyle (Professor of African History and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds) focuses on maternal health in the Global South, and particularly on maternal mortality in Kenya. The discussion features interviews with: Professor Marleen Temmerman, former Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research of the World Health Organization  Dr Estelle Sidze, research lead for maternal, newborn, and child health and wellbeing at the African Population and Health Research Center The episode discusses the significance of landmark interventions in maternal health, from the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994, to the development of dedicated Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals in this field. Yet, while much has been achieved, maternal mortality has proven to be one of the most intractable of global health challenges. In analysing why negative outcomes remain relatively common in the Global South, a number of issues are examined, from accountability within medical systems to maternal mental health. Additional links Centre for Global Health Histories WHO Strategies toward ending preventable maternal mortality WHO Ending preventable maternal mortality (EPMM): a renewed focus for improving maternal and newbor… Strategic Partnerships to Save Lives of Mothers and Newborns in Kenya Examining the quality of care across the continuum of maternal care (antenatal, perinatal and postn…
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Episode 3 - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

    Episode 3 - Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
    May 16 2025

    In this episode of the Global Health Histories podcast, Sanjoy Bhattacharya speaks to Jeremy Knox from the Wellcome Trust and Suranga Dolamulla from Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Jeremy highlights his policy work on AMR, emphasising the economic impact and the need for global policy actions. Suranga shares his clinical and research experience, noting the long-standing issue of antibiotic efficacy and the broader implications of AMR beyond clinical settings.

    The discussion covers the definition and historical context of AMR, its drivers such as overuse of antibiotics, and the challenges in tackling it, including complexity, cost, and stakeholder resistance. The guests stress the importance of national action plans, international collaboration, and the role of civil society in raising awareness and supporting community initiatives. They also discuss the WHO's leadership, the need for new antibiotics, rapid diagnostics, alternative therapies, and vaccination programs. The episode concludes with a call for a participatory approach involving WHO, governments, and communities to effectively manage AMR. Additional links

    Centre for Global Health Histories

    https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-groups/1880/centre-for-global-health-histories

    WHO - Antimicrobial resistance

    https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance

    Wellcome Trust - Antimicrobial resistance: it's time for global action

    https://wellcome.org/our-priorities/infectious-disease/antimicrobial-resistance

    Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists - National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System in Sri Lankan https://slmicrobiology.lk/2024/05/29/national-antimicrobial-resistance-surveillance-system-in-sri-lanka/

    WHO - Sri Lanka: National Strategic Plan for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance 2023-2028 https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/sri-lanka-national-strategic-plan-for-combating-antimicrobial-resistance-2023-2028
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 2 – Framework Convention for Tobacco Control: A National Perspective from Sri Lanka

    Episode 2 – Framework Convention for Tobacco Control: A National Perspective from Sri Lanka
    Apr 25 2025

    This episode of the Global Health Histories Podcast features a conversation between Sanjoy Bhattacharya (Head of the School of History and Professor of Medical and Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds) and Dr. Suranga Dolamulla, focusing on the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) and how it is being implemented in Sri Lanka. Dr. Dolamulla, Director of Laboratory Services and the Medical Research Institute at the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka, discusses the country's efforts and challenges in reducing tobacco use. The podcast highlights Sri Lanka's proactive stance in tobacco control and its significant contributions to global health initiatives. Additional links Centre for Global Health Histories https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-groups/1880/centre-for-global-health-histories Centre for combating tobacco - Tobacco Observatory of Sri Lanka and the Region https://cct.lk/tobacco-cultivation-in-sri-lanka-past-present-futere/

    The Internationalisation of Tobacco Control, 1950-2010 by David Reubi & Virginia Berridge (Cambridge University Press)

    https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/medical-history/article/internationalisation-of-tobacco-control-19502010/F3C0B3C0ABDCD14041627808828ABD43
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    18 mins