What role should expatriate clinicians play when providing medical aid in a former colony like South Sudan? Amy Neilson explores the complex dynamics between foreign and local health workers in the neo-colonial aid sector. Using case examples of clinical rabies and malaria, she discusses the invaluable knowledge of Clinical Officers – the backbone of South Sudan’s health system – and the limitations of how that knowledge is recognised within persistent colonial systems.
For aid workers heading to serve in conflict-affected regions, this talk provides an insightful look at reconciling Western medical ideals with local realities on the ground. Neilson asks: How can we truly decolonize medicine and empower local health experts when providing humanitarian aid? What mindsets must we unravel in order to meet needs ethically and equitably?
Join us to hear her profound perspectives on tropical medicine, conflict care, and deconstructing our own privilege as foreign health workers.