Global Health Matters

For decades, international NGOs have been central pillars of global health and humanitarian response efforts. But with aid budgets shrinking, trust eroding and local civil society organizations demonstrating the power of proximity every day, the model is under scrutiny. Who gets to lead? Who gets to decide? And what would more equitable, locally grounded  international cooperation actually look like? In this episode, host Garry Aslanyan explores these questions with two guests who bring deeply complementary perspectives. Deborah Doane is a Partner at Rights CoLab and the convener of The Ringo Project, an initiative dedicated to reimagining international NGOs so that civil society everywhere can be more equitable. She is the author of The INGO Problem: Power, Privilege and Renewal. The second half of the episode features Angela Oduor Lungati, Executive Director of Ushahidi, a Nairobi-based nonprofit technology organization and open-source advocate with over a decade of experience advancing inclusive technology for historically marginalized communities.
Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.

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 Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization.  
 
 All content © 2026 Global Health Matters.
Hi there, it's Garry. Let me let you on a bit of a secret. We're offering something new at the Global Health Matters and it's called the Insight Track. And Insight track is about context, clarity, and foresight from people who actually know the terrain. So in each episode, I'm joined by two brilliant recurrent voices. Voices you heard here on Global Health matters, Catherine Kyobutungi who brings the evidence and real-world insight from the front lines of health resear

The Inside Track is a new series from Global Health Matters offering context, clarity and foresight that you won’t find in traditional news shows. Each episode brings host Garry Aslanyan together with two recurring voices: Catherine Kyobutungi, who brings insight from the frontlines of health research and policy in Africa, and Ricardo Baptista Leite, a physician and global thinker on health, politics and AI. Together, they unpack the headlines with candid conversations grounded in lived experience. If you work in global health and want a better understanding of what’s happening, why it matters and what to watch out for, this series is for you.
What do the pope, the Force and a dose of hope have in common? In this episode of The Inside Track, we discuss planetary health—the idea that human health is inseparable from the health of the planet. The discussion underscores how factors like climate, food and living conditions drive most health outcomes, far beyond clinical care. Host Garry Aslanyan and recurring expert-pundits Catherine Kyobutungi and Ricardo Baptista Leite call for a shift from reactive health systems to prevention, and for rethinking “development” to prioritise sustainability alongside human wellbeing.
Clipping: “Global health governance in transition” — a brief discussion on reimagining global health through new partnerships and stronger local ownership.
Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.

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 Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions

Global Health Matters is the monthly podcast from TDR, if you like our content then please subscribe. We embrace the fact that public health and global health are intertwined and through our podcast we hope to engage with broader topics bringing together experts from across the globe providing a platform for wider engagement.   
 
For this episode we bring you a topic that rarely reaches the top of the global health agenda, that is the subject of the health of refugees and migrants.  This podcast episode lays out the key issues for the listener and through our guests it builds an awareness to ensure this topic gets better attention in the future. 
Global Health Matters host Garry Aslanyan speaks with the following guests:  
Eugen Ghita
Human Rights Monitor and President, Roma Lawyers Association, Romania RomaJust  
Reem Mussa 
Humanitarian Advisor and Coordinator of the Forced Migration Team, Médecins Sans Frontières 
 During this podcast we hear the health experiences of Eugen Ghita, who was a migrant and he is now working as a human rights monitor on behalf of the Roma community in Europe.  Eugen identified that there is a lack of information dedicated to the refugees and many language barriers.
 
 Reem Mussa from MSF is able to give us context in relation to the policies of the different types of refugees and migrants.  Many countries do allow for access to health care regardless of the legal status of people, but not all, some may only provide for emergency healthcare.  MSF promotes the importance of a separation between border control/ immigration schemes and healthcare access as some migrants without right to remain may fear authorities or deportation and so not access healthcare for that reason.
 
 Kindly note that this podcast discusses mental health for refugees and migrants, TDR would like to refer you to WHO guidance for those seeking further support. 
Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.

Subscribe to the Global Health Matters podcast newsletter. 
 
Follow us for updates:
@TDRnews on X
TDR on LinkedIn
@ghm_podcast on Instagram
@ghm-podcast.bsky.social on Bluesky
 
 Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization.  
 
 All content © 2026 Global Health Matters.

Hi there, it's Garry. Let me let you on a bit of a secret. We're offering something new at the Global Health Matters and it's called the Insight Track. And Insight track is about context, clarity, and foresight from people who actually know the terrain. So in each episode, I'm joined by two brilliant recurrent voices. Voices you heard here on Global Health matters, Catherine Kyobutungi who brings the evidence and real-world insight from the front lines of health resear

Dialogues is a series from the Global Health Matters podcast where we bring you interviews featuring fresh perspectives on global health issues. The goal of each Dialogues episode is to break through the echo chambers that exist in global health through in-depth, thoughtful conversations.

For this episode, we turn to language, memory and the threads that connect pandemics and people across time. Host Garry Aslanyan is joined by Laura Spinney, a science journalist, novelist and author of two books -- "Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World" and "Proto: The Hidden Origins of the World's Languages." Laura's work spans the fields of history, genetics, linguistics and epidemiology to reveal how stories of disease and language shape our collective understanding of humanity. This conversation explores how pandemics alter societies, how words and names influence fear and stigma, and what the world's earliest languages can teach us about connection and change.

Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.

Subscribe to the Global Health Matters podcast newsletter. 
 
Follow us for updates:
@TDRnews on X
TDR on LinkedIn
@ghm_podcast on Instagram
@ghm-podcast.bsky.social on Bluesky
 
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization.  

All content © 2026 Global Health Matters.
Hi there, it's Garry. Let me let you on a bit of a secret. We're offering something new at the Global Health Matters and it's called the Insight Track. And Insight track is about context, clarity, and foresight from people who actually know the terrain. So in each episode, I'm joined by two brilliant recurrent voices. Voices you heard here on Global Health matters, Catherine Kyobutungi who brings the evidence and real-world insight from the front lines of health resear

In our first episode of The Inside Track, we examine the fragile state of information integrity in global health. Host Garry Aslanyan and recurring expert-pundits Catherine Kyobutungi and Ricardo Baptista Leite unpack how misinformation spreads, why trust erodes and what responsibility health leaders carry in this environment. We explore how perception, belief and narrative shape public understanding — especially in the wake of COVID-19. We also react to a recent Guardian article linking climate change to chikungunya in Europe, questioning why warnings so often fail to translate into sustained action. We close with some gratitude — spotlighting promising innovations and leadership, and reaffirming our commitment to clear, courageous conversations in global health. The views expressed are those of the host and guests in their individual capacities and do not necessarily reflect those of their respective organizations.
Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.

Subscribe to the Global Health Matters podcast newsletter. 
 
Follow us for updates:
@TDRnews on X
TDR on LinkedIn
@ghm_podcast on Instagram
@ghm-podcast.bsky.social on Bluesky
 
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization.  

All content © 2026 Global Health Matters.