Today marks the release of an article we co-authored in the Lancet, an independent medical journal founded in 1823 that seeks to address urgent topics in society, encourage important debate, and influence decision makers globally.
The Lancet is a platform to advance the impact of research, and it generates over 84 million site visits per year. It is concerned with selecting the very highest standards of research, doing so specifically to improve people’s lives, and increasing the social impact of science by believing that research can, and will make a difference in the world.
The article, which focuses on racism in two UK based global health institutions is a tough read for many reasons. It highlights the experiences that some racially minoritised people have faced and continue to face in institutions which were not designed with their career prosperity in mind. It discusses the hard realities of the barriers to career progression, and the impact those barriers have on the innate desire that all people have to trust, and to feel at ease in their environment.
But as many organisations and leadership teams across the world reflect on the structures that have developed over time, and the task of redesigning workplace systems to make them equitable, it is important to draw breath, and to have hope.
Hope that it is possible, and that there is a way to bring about change.
Hope that by building on the truth, and the momentum that is here, we can make things better.
And hope that we can continue to make a positive impact on the world by focusing on equity and social justice.
We too hope you find the article and the recommendations for eliminating racism in global health institutions an illuminating read.
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