UKZN Researcher Publishes Paper in Lancet Global Health

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Lancet Global Health has published a paper by clinical psychologist in UKZN’s Department of Behavioural Medicine Dr Thirusha Naidu on how colonialism has helped shape Global South voices and minds in the global health sphere by filtering thinking through Global North ways of seeing and understanding the world.

‘A publication in such a prestigious journal is an achievement in itself,’ said Naidu. ‘Acknowledgement that my ideas have resonated with scholars in global health and medicine is even more encouraging,’ said an elated Naidu.

Lancet Global Health is a prestigious international journal that features original research, review, commentary, and correspondence. It focuses on disadvantaged populations, with a preference for topics such as reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health; infectious diseases, including neglected tropical diseases; non-communicable diseases; mental health; the global health workforce; health systems; surgery, and health policy.

‘I am hopeful about this paper as scholars and researchers have shown a lot of interest in global health and health professions education and other disciplines. I am anticipating potential collaborations with international researchers in the field,’ said Naidu.

The paper titled: Says who? Northern Ventriloquism, or Epistemic Disobedience in Global Health Scholarship, addressed issues of importance in global health scholarship including the fact that scholars who are women of colour are the most disadvantaged in a global field where pre-dominantly White western male editors of journals control the flow of knowledge.

Naidu presents the notion of epistemic violence as an assault on non-dominant ways of thinking in global health scholarship. This results in ‘northern ventriloquism’ when Global South scholars propel Global North ways of thinking in science and medicine over their own. ‘Scholars in the Global South should practise challenging and dismantling Global North structures and ways of knowing through “epistemic disobedience” or defying what is expected in terms of topics, forms and content in research.’

This highlights Naidu’s concern that if global scholarly structures are not decolonised and dismantled quickly enough, valuable ideas referenced through their personal and ancestral histories will suffocate before they see the light of day because of Global South academic voices and writing.

‘In South Africa this might include TB and HIV research as well as sexual and reproductive health issues. It makes ethical, practical and moral sense for the voices of our women or at least the voices of our daughters and sisters to have an influential say in work that is about us. I hope having this idea presented in the Lancet Global Health means it will get the attention it deserves,’ Naidu said.

According to Naidu, her paper personally and professionally represents a scholarly step in a positive direction.

She said the paper was rejected by at least three international medical journals before it was published in the Lancet Global Health. ‘When papers are rejected we are often encouraged as Global South researchers to aim for lower impact journals to secure publication,’ she declared.

‘The underlying and destructive narrative being that our work is of lower quality, less advanced or less innovative than Global North research offerings. The idea was important for me to promote as it outlines struggles that I and many other Global South authors have had in having our work accepted in dominant spaces. We think that our ideas are incorrect or misplaced when it is the structures and mind-sets in dominant spaces that are not accommodating of ideas that are different or challenging to the status quo,’ said Naidoo.

On an inspiring note, Naidu had a personal message from the Journal’s editor, noting that the paper had received a good initial reception confirming that many Global South scholars have similar experiences where they were doubted and unable to articulate.

She is currently working on a project exploring Global South authors’ experiences when publishing in Global North-based journals. ‘I am delighted to be giving the plenary address at the Association of American Colleges Congress research in medical education (RIME) plenary session in November. I will be proposing the idea that modern medicine is a colonial artefact,’ she said.

Words: Nombuso Dlamini

Photograph: Supplied