Rethinking Capacity Building in the Era of Changing Global Health Practices

Abstract: In light of shifting priorities and dwindling resources in global health, capacity-building efforts in low-income countries have come under renewed scrutiny. This panel challenges traditional models of “capacity building” funded by Global North research institutions, asking whether these initiatives effectively address underlying injustices in global health or merely reinforce existing power dynamics. The first panelist, a philosopher and medical anthropologist, examines the relationship between longstanding calls to decolonize global health and recent nationalist policies that are antithetical to the basic aims of global health practice. The second panelist, a philosopher and medical ethicist, argues that local capacity building and global partnerships to promote development of biotechnical infrastructure in areas such as genomic sequencing are essential elements of sustainable and just global health policy. The third panelist, a bioethicist and public health expert, contends that capacity-building grants should encompass broader developmental objectives beyond single research projects. This approach fosters the establishment of robust scientific infrastructure, advancing long-term sustainability and promoting research independence in the Global South. The fourth panelist, a philosopher and bioethicist, endorses a “health capability paradigm,” emphasizing researchers’ moral responsibilities to the communities where they work and arguing that these responsibilities require systemic investments in local scientific infrastructure. Together, the presenters invite a rethinking of how global health collaborations should balance immediate research goals with the overarching moral duties to empower local communities.

Keywords: Ethics of global health capacity building, Justice in global health, Sustainability and Research Infrastructure Development