Decolonizing global health: A peer knowledge course

Course overview

This peer learning course explores critical perspectives on decolonizing global health through carefully-selected papers, organized into ten modules. Each module presents opportunities to deeply engage with foundational concepts in global health equity, while building a community of practitioners from all over the world through peer learning.

The course is designed for health professionals, researchers, students, policymakers, and community health workers who seek to understand and address colonial structures in global health.

No prior expertise in decolonization theory is required—only a commitment to critical reflection and collaborative learning.

Knowledge outcomes

The knowledge provided in this course supports participants to:

1. Identify colonial structures in global health research, practice, and policy.
2. Analyze power dynamics in knowledge production and resource allocation.
3. Critique reformist versus transformative approaches to decolonization.
4. Apply decolonial perspectives to their own work context.
5. Develop strategies for building equitable partnerships across contexts.
6. Articulate the role of Global South leadership and Global North allyship in shifting power.
7. Recognize forms of epistemic injustice and implement practices that value diverse knowledge systems.
8. Build a network of peers committed to meaningful decolonization in global health.

Peer learning outcomes

The peer learning activities in this course support participants to:

1. Reflect on how key concepts of decolonization relate to their own practice.
2. Identify practical steps they can take to contribute to decolonization.
3. Give constructive, specific feedback helping other participants reflect on their practice.
4. Make sense of feedback received from other participants and use it to deepen their reflection.

Certification

Upon completing each module, you will receive a course certificate for that module. Individual module certificates are also available for those who prefer to engage with specific topics.

Certificates recognize your commitment to critical reflection and peer learning in addressing one of the most important challenges in contemporary global health.

Who should take this course

This course is designed for:

• Health professionals working in global health contexts;
• Researchers involved in international collaborations;
• Students in public health, medicine, and related fields;
• Policymakers and program managers in global health;
• Community health workers engaged with international organizations; and
• Anyone committed to more equitable approaches to health

Meet your guide: Dr. Luchuo E. Bain

Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (MD, MPH, MSc Bioethics, MBA, PhD) is a global health physician, implementation research scientist, and bioethicist with over 15 years of experience in global health research and practice. Currently based in Ottawa, Canada, Dr. Bain serves as the Inaugural Fellow for Climate Change and Health at The Geneva Learning Foundation and is currently the Head of International Programs at the African Population and Health Research Center.

His expertise spans health systems strengthening, research ethics, community engagement, gendered impacts of climate change on health, and One Health approaches. Dr. Bain brings a unique transdisciplinary perspective to global health challenges, emphasizing decolonial knowledge systems to bridge research-policy gaps and prioritizing gender equality and inclusion in his work.

With experience across multiple African countries, Europe, and North America, Dr. Bain has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and serves on editorial boards for journals including PLOS ONE and BMC Women’s Health. His work on community engagement in research, ethical oversight in health policy experiments, and equitable global health partnerships directly informs this course’s focus on decolonizing knowledge production.

Dr. Bain has carefully selected the readings in this course to reflect his commitment to evidence synthesis, context-relevant co-created research agendas, and transformative approaches to global health equity.

Course structure

For each of the papers in this course, you will progress through a structured learning cycle:

1. Independent study (1 hour): Read the assigned paper. Review the accompanying FAQ, study guide, and glossary.
2. Critical reflection (30 minutes): Respond to reflective questions that connect the paper’s concepts to your own professional context. Submit your reflections to the peer review system.
3. Peer feedback (1-2 hours): Review reflections from another course participant. Provide structured, constructive feedback using provided criteria. Submit your peer assessment.
4. Receive feedback (30 minutes): Review feedback on your own reflections. Consider how this feedback might inform your practice.
5. Certification: Receive a module completion certificate after successfully completing both giving and receiving feedback.

Papers in this course

Each paper represents one module for which you can earn a certificate, allowing for flexible participation.

1. Epistemic disobedience–Undoing coloniality in global health research PLOS Global Public Health, 2024. Naidu explores how challenging colonial knowledge systems can transform global health research.
2. Global health and the elite capture of decolonization: On reformism and the possibilities of alternate paths. PLOS Global Public Health, 2023. Krugman critiques superficial approaches to decolonization and proposes more fundamental alternatives.
3. Shifting power in global health will require leadership by the Global South and allyship by the Global NorthThe Lancet, 2024. Pai, Bandara, and Kyobutungi outline roles for different stakeholders in transforming global health power dynamics.
4. Developing an agenda for the decolonization of global health Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2024. McCoy et al. propose concrete action items for advancing decolonization in global health institutions.
5. Decolonizing global health—what does it mean for us? European Journal of Public Health, 2023. Forsberg and Sundewall explore practical implications of decolonization for global health professionals.
6. Decolonizing global health: what should be the target of this movement and where does it lead us? Global Health Research and Policy, 2022. Kwete et al. examine specific targets for decolonization efforts and potential outcomes.
7. Colonization and decolonization of global health: which way forward? Global Health Action, 2023. Hussain et al. analyze historical colonial structures and pathways toward decolonization.
8. Decolonizing global health by engineering equitable relationships Nature Reviews Bioengineering, 2024. Examines how bioengineers must address colonial structures alongside technological innovation.
9. What do global health practitioners think about decolonizing global health? Annals of Global Health, 2022. Finkel et al. survey global health practitioners about their understanding and perspectives on decolonization.

The Geneva Learning Foundation (TGLF) may offer a Master Certificate for participants who complete all modules in this course.