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Global Health - Current Stories in Global Health

Our Current Stories in Global Health online event series runs quarterly throughout the year and aims to simplify Global Health research, policy and practice.

Each session will demonstrate case studies of excellent Global Health interventions, bridging the gap between theory and practice.

We will showcase the world-class research that we are conducting at BSMS in more than 25 countries globally, and highlight the joys and challenges of working in Global Health.

This series is for people considering a career in Global Health, those already working in Global Health, or anyone interested in learning about the intersectional aspects of health, society and welfare through practical examples of research and intervention - and we welcome and encourage anyone considering the MSc in Global Health to attend.

You can see recordings of presentations from our previous events on this page >

Find out more about our MSc in Global Health >

For more information on this series and how you can get involved either as s presenter or attend a future event, contact Dr Anne Gatuguta, a.gatuguta@bsms.ac.uk.

Upcoming events – coming soon

To find out more about global health teaching at BSMS, email us at:GlobalHealthTeaching@bsms.ac.uk and we will add you to our mailing list.

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Session Six: Infertility and Childlessness

The latest instalment in our Current Stories in Global Health series took place on Wednesday 28 January 2026 and explored the World Health Organization’s first guidelines on infertility and its implications for global health equity. Speakers from BRAC University, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, Dhaka University, icddr,b and BSMS discussed the challenges facing health systems, particularly in the Global South.

Prof Papreen Nahar, BSMS, opened the session with a presentation on her research

WHO representative Dr Gitau Mburu joined the event to discuss the new WHO guidelines on infertility

Tasfiyah Jalil and Subas Chandra Biswas, BRAC University, presented their paper: "Infertility and Assisted Reproduction as violent experiences for Women in Bangladesh: Arts-based Intervention to Address GBV (Arts for I-ARTs)"

Dr Sohana Shafique and Dr Foyjunnaher Sultana Prova, icddr,b, presented their paper "Patients’ and providers’ perspectives on the availability and accessibility of biomedical services for male infertility in Bangladesh"

Dr Anna Afferri and Dr Ishrat Khan Ishrat, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, presented their paper: "Multi-country assessment of infertility policies and services in the WHO Southeast Asia Region: results from a cross-sectional key informant survey"

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Session five: Global health careers: opportunities to impact communities worldwide

Our fifth session in May 2024 brought together individuals with a wide range of experience for an illuminating talk about the diverse career opportunities within global health.

This online session took place on Wednesday 29 May. Our panel of experts shared their insights, experiences, and tips – providing guidance to navigate and thrive in the rapidly evolving field of global health. You can watch recordings of our speakers below.

Jo Middleton explores opportunities for Global Health graduates to integrate actions on human health and nature conservation.

Vanessa Nakitende talks about her experiences of setting up and running a Global Health charity organisation.

Harriet Labouchere discusses the different pathways into Global Health research.

Romana Kafedzic discusses her 'zig-zag' career and working in the private sector.

Getnet Tadele shares his journey from a boy in rural Ethiopia to an internationally acclaimed scholar and change agent in the field of Global Health.

Session four: Vending machines, knowledge exchange and extreme weather events – what has HIV got to do with it?

Our fourth event in the series took place in January 2024. In this session, BSMS' HIV research team – who are at the forefront of innovative research to address HIV in vulnerable populations – discussed some of their groundbreaking work in addressing the challenges of HIV.

Dr Syra Dhillon discusses improving access to HIV and STI testing through electronic vending machines dispensing HIV self-tests.

Prof Jaime Vera explores the crucial role of north-south knowledge exchange to address challenges associated with ageing and frailty in people living with HIV.

Dr Kate Alford discusses the importance of quality of life in people with HIV with cognitive impairment.

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Session three: Necropolitics and Migration

At our third session in September 2023, we focused on themes of necropolitics and migration and the impact these have on health – both locally and globally. The ‘politics of life and death’ (necropolitics) is ever present in global health. Who decides who must live or die? Do governments and institutions prioritise certain populations at the detriment of others? Decisions that are not evidence-based can result in vulnerable populations being further marginalised and at the risk of death – whether physical, social or political. In this session, we explored how necropolitics has played a role in key global health issues around border enforcement, detention centres, unending asylum processes and, ultimately, the health of migrants.

For this session, recorded on 20 September, we were joined by BSMS' Dr Arianne Shahvisi, and external speakers Hyab Yohannes, Tesfalem Yemane and Mohammad Salaymeh. This was filmed as part of an academic event and views expressed by speakers are held by the individual, not the institution.

Watch Dr Arianne Shahvisi's talk: Letting die: the necropolitics of the hostile environment.

Watch Mohammad Salaymeh's talk: Access to health for Palestinians.

Watch Hyab Yohannes and Tesfalem Yemane's talk: The Refugee Condition as a Site of Necropolitics and Decolonial Possibilities.

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Session two: Decolonising Global Health

At our second online session in April 2023, we were joined by an international group of academics to discuss decolonisation and global health. This session took a critical lens to decolonisation efforts, thinking about what global health institutions in the global south and global north are currently doing – and what they should be doing. Discussion points included what it is that we are decolonising, how decolonisation can lead to reparative justice and meaningful acknowledgement and whether decolonising global health is even possible at all given the colonial histories of global health.

You can watch the presentations from our academic event below.

Prof María Cristina Quevedo-Gómez asks: can we transform our current global and local reality?

Dr Shahzad Amjad Khan discusses epistemic injustice at our session on decolonising global health.

Dr Ricardo Twumasi, King’s College London, discusses a decolonised approach to student assessment in higher education in the UK.

Session one: Stigma and Discrimination

At our first session in January 2023, Global Health Lecturer Dr Diego Garcia Rodriguez, BSMS Global Health MSc alumna Bella Tomsett and BSMS PhD student Ursin Bayisenge each presented on their research, which focuses on topics related to stigma and discrimination in the UK, Rwanda and globally.

You can watch their presentations below.

Dr Diego Garcia Rodriguez presents the findings on research conducted by a BSMS team of researchers on the impact of medicine-taking among people living with HIV in Brighton & Hove resulting from the PEDAL Study.

Bella Tomsett discusses her research on stigma in relation to domestic violence and modern slavery.

Ursin Bayisenge presents his research about the lived experience of refugees in a camp where scabies is highly prevalent due to overcrowding.