On 26 and 27 January, within the scope of DxHub, GHTM | IHMT NOVA researchers organised the online seminar “Fair and Equitable Partnerships — Ethics, Equity, and Collaboration in Global Health”, a two-part Business Class aimed at strengthening ethical, equitable, and reflective approaches to collaboration in global health research and practice.
This initiative was designed for professionals, researchers, and innovators seeking to deepen their understanding of how to build partnerships that address persistent health inequalities, power imbalances, and ethical challenges in global health.
Part A: Fair and Equitable Partnerships in Global Health
Part A of the course was delivered by GHTM researchers Isabel Craveiro (PPS-GHTM), Henrique Silveira (VBD-GHTM), and Réka Maulide Cane (PPS-GHTM), focusing on the principles of fairness, equity, and collaboration in global health partnerships. Drawing on GHTM–IHMT–NOVA initiatives, including thematic training in global health and the Equity and Fairness in Research platform, this session explored social values, ethics, and practical approaches to implementing mutually beneficial partnerships in research and teaching.
Participants engaged in critical discussions on:
- Core principles of equitable and ethical collaboration
- Best practices for building sustainable global health partnerships
- Applying equity principles in contexts marked by structural inequalities
Equitable partnerships were highlighted as a cornerstone for achieving sustainable and impactful global health outcomes, with participants encouraged to reflect on how these principles could be adapted to their own institutional and professional contexts.
Part B: Decolonising Global Health
Sali Hafez, a Global Health researcher, led Part B of the masterclass, which focused on what it means to decolonise global health in theory and practice. The session began with a critical examination of how decoloniality differs from approaches such as equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), anti-racism, and other justice-focused frameworks.
The session introduced the concept of epistemic justice, encouraging participants to consider alternative ways of knowing that challenge dominant perspectives in global health. Drawing on projects developed at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)—including a reflexive planning guide for decolonising research and work on Indigenous and decolonial evaluation methodologies—the lecture shared key insights, findings, and practical reflections on applying decolonial principles in global health research and practice.
About DxHub
DxHub – Diagnostic Solutions for Infectious Diseases at the Point of Care, a Center of Excellence under a European initiative, fosters innovation by connecting academia, businesses, government, and society. Its mission is to transform advanced One Health research into real-world, market-ready solutions.
GHTM | IHMT NOVA is a partner in DxHub, with researchers Ana Paula Arez, Isabel Maurício (VBD-GHTM), Sofia Seabra (PPS-GHTM), Márcia Medeiros, (IHC-GHTM) and Isabel Craveiro actively contributing to the initiative.
This two-part Business Class represented a valuable learning opportunity for those engaged in global health partnerships, reinforcing the importance of ethics, equity, collaboration, and decolonial perspectives in shaping more just and sustainable global health practices.