Hold More Global Health Meetings In LMICs To Ensure Inclusivity, Equity, Researcher Says

BMJ Opinion: Ulrick Sidney: Visas for global health events — too many are losing their seat at the table
Ulrick Sidney, a research associate at Harvard’s Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, member of the international team of InciSioN, and resident of Cameroon, discusses the importance of inclusivity at global health conferences and the challenges many researchers, scientists, and health workers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face in obtaining visas to attend these meetings in high-income countries (HICs). Sidney recounts his experience being denied a visa to attend the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva and calls for more global health conferences to be held in LMICs. He concludes, “Global health specialists have a responsibility to create a more inclusive community. Solving the problem of attendance at conferences would be one step towards equity” (7/30).

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