The use of imagery in global health: an analysis of infectious disease documents and a framework to guide practice

Esmita Charani, PhD †
Sameed Shariq, BSc †
Alexandra M Cardoso Pinto, BSc
Raabia Farooqi, BSc
Winnie Nambatya, MPharm
Oluchi Mbamalu, PhD
Seye Abimbola, PhD
Marc Mendelson, PhD

The Lancet | Open Access | Published: December 01, 2022 | DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00465-X

Summary

We report an empirical analysis of the use of imagery by the key actors in global health who set policy and strategy, and we provide a comprehensive overview, particularly related to images used in reports on vaccination and antimicrobial resistance. The narrative currently depicted in imagery is one of power imbalances, depicting women and children from low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) with less dignity, respect, and power than those from high-income countries. The absence of any evidence of consent for using intrusive and out-of-context images, particularly of children in LMICs, is concerning. The framework we have developed provides a platform for global health actors to redefine their intentions and recommission appropriate images that are relevant to the topic, respect the integrity of all individuals depicted, are accompanied by evidence of consent, and are equitable in representation. Adhering to these standards will help to avoid inherent biases that lead to insensitive content and misrepresentation, stigmatisation, and racial stereotyping.

NEW BOOKS

VERSO

Paths of Revolution

Selected Essays

by Adolfo Gilly

Edited by Tony Wood

Link: https://www.versobooks.com/books/4087-paths-of-revolution

End the U.S. empire!

Eric Zuesse

Currently, the U.S. has exactly 900 military bases in foreign countries, in addition to the 749 bases inside the U.S. itself. The U.S. Government minimizes and tries to hide this reality from the public. Furthermore, although the U.S. is officially estimated to spend around 36% of the entire world’s military expenditures, the actual figure is around 50% of the world’s military expenditures, and the added approximately 14% is being paid-out through federal U.S. Departments other than the ‘Defense’ Department, so as to make the total U.S. figure appear to be only 36% of the global total. Moreover: on November 15th, the U.S. Department of ‘Defense’ announced that “The results of the fifth annual DOD [Department Of Defense] wide financial audit will be a disclaimer of opinion for DOD” and used other such obtuse phraseology, so that the reality that — as one of the very few published news-reports that was based on it headlined optimistically — “Defense Department fails another audit, but makes progress”, and it opened:

The Defense Department has failed its fifth-ever audit, unable to account for more than half of its assets, but the effort is being viewed as a “teachable moment,” according to its chief financial officer. 

After 1,600 auditors combed through DOD’s $3.5 trillion in assets and $3.7 trillion in liabilities, officials found that the department couldn’t account for about 61 percent of its assets, Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord told reporters on Tuesday.

Xi Jinping’s Visit to Saudi Arabia and the overthrow of Atlanticism

Matthew Ehret

As Atlanticists continue their commitment to a future shaped by energy scarcity, food scarcity, and war with their nuclear-capable neighbors, most states in the Persian Gulf that have long been trusted allies of the west have quickly come to realize that their interests are best assured by cooperating with Eurasian states like China and Russia who don’t think in those zero-sum terms.

With Chinese President Xi Jinping’s long-awaited three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, a powerful shift by the Persian Gulf’s most strategic Arab state toward the multipolar alliance is being consolidated. Depending on which side of the ideological fence you sit on, this consolidation is being viewed closely with great hope or rage.

Xi’s visit stands in stark contrast to US President Joe Biden’s underwhelming ‘fist bump’ meeting this summer, which saw the self-professed leader of the free world falling asleep at a conference table and demanding more Saudi oil production while offering nothing durable in return.

China the Change Agent – Patreon Q&A #3

Michael Hudson | December 12, 2022

Each quarter, Patreon Plus supporters can ask Michael questions. Here is a transcript of the most recent one, just in time for our next Q&A this Thursday. Please support Michael’s work via his Patreon page.

Karl Fitzgerald: Alright, let’s get into it. We’ve got lots of good questions. Welcome, everyone. My name is Karl Fitzgerald. I’ve been Michael’s webmaster for over a decade now and yes, we’re so lucky to have Michael Hudson with us today. We’ve all read his books. We’ve all seen his whirlwind approach to unveiling the reality of economics so yes, Michael, great to have you here. I wanted to start off with just a nice easy one. I’m sure you could answer this in your sleep but for you, what are some of the guiding principles that listeners should really grasp in terms of just how rigged our economic system is today? What’s the handful of principles that you think are a useful barometer for people to grasp just how off-kilter our economic system is?

Michael Hudson: I’ve been working on a vocabulary to describe these principles. There are a number of seemingly opposing forces at work. I think we should call the inflation, The Biden Inflation, because the inflation that we’re seeing is almost entirely the result of Biden’s inaugurating a new 20- to 30-year cold war with Russia. He’s announced that it’s going to take 20 or 30 years. He said Ukraine is only the opening. His sanctioning of Russian oil, gas and food is pushed up by inflation by about at least 10% from Europe all the way to the United States. So, on the one hand, this inflation that people are saying is the problem has led the Federal Reserve to say, “Well, there’s a cure to that Biden inflation. Let’s have a depression and lower wage rates. If only we have more unemployment, we can cure the inflation.”

Ukraine President Zelensky DESTROYED for Winning TIME Person Of The Year Award.

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/@theleftlens

[THIS IS POSTED HERE FOR NON-PROFIT, NON-COMMERCIAL, EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE.]

Greek communists-targets of the Ukrainian death list “Myrotvorets”

In Defense of Communism | December 14, 2022

Joint statement by Giorgos Lambroulis, Member and Vice President of the Greek Parliament, Sotiris Zarianopoulos, former Member of the European Parliament, and Giorgos Maganas, cadre of the KKE, on the Press Project website:

“The inclusion of our names in the Ukrainian blacklist with the misleading title “Peacemaker” proves the fact that the Ukrainian bourgeois state chose to overtly target us, as well as our Party, the KKE, which accepted an invitation in November 2014 to visit the Donbas region to express our solidarity with the people of the region and Ukraine as a whole.

The attempt to make various unsubstantiated accusations against us, such as “enemies of Ukraine” and collaborators of “terrorist organizations”, shows the undemocratic slippery slope taken by a regime that has immersed itself in anti-communism and bans any oppositional voice in Ukraine. This regime prevailed after the unconstitutional coup of 2014 with the support of the USA, NATO, and the EU, also using fascist forces for its purposes.

United we are stronger in the anti-imperialist struggle

The 22nd International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties presented a plan of action to develop until the next event.

Granma | November 11, 2022

Communist and workers’ parties, and their related social organizations, agreed in Havana to achieve a better articulation and strengthening of international anti-imperialist organizations. Photo: Juvenal Balán

The international meeting, which ran for three days in Havana and gathered 145 delegates from 78 parties of communist and workers’ affiliation from 60 countries, took place in crucial moments for the world, when humanity is debating between the war promoted by the centers of world capitalism and the aspiration for peace and development to which our peoples have the right.

The meeting generated a space for reflection, exchange, unity and collaboration; for agreement on common positions and actions; and for international solidarity with the cause of the workers’ struggle, with the Cuban Revolution and the peoples facing imperialist and fascist aggression.

Plan of Action of the 22nd International Meeting of Communist

and Workers’ Parties, Havana, Cuba

The 22nd International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties

held on October 27-29, 2022 in Havana, Cuba defined the following main guidelines and actions to be developed ahead of the next Meeting:

India: Report of Struggle of Punjab’s Fight-for-Land Movement by ZPSC and Agricultural Labourers

Harsh Thakor

Countercurrents | December 14, 2022

Ei Muhurte Kichhu Bhavna  of West Bengal activists have been closely studying the  movement of dalit agricultural workers f Punjab in relation to the agrarian revolutionary movement of Punjab  and integration with movement of landed farmers. It just presented a report on its experiences and reflected their interpretation.

The organisation in Punjab that is fighting for land for the landless, and all agricultural labourers’ unions together called for a Protest demonstration at Sangrur, the home of the Chief Minister of Punjab, on November 30, 2022. Previously the CM gave an appointment to meet the landless and labourers on September 13 — thousands and thousands went there — but the CM could not find time — for 3 days the police blocked all road to CM’s residence and kept thousands sitting on the road. So, they had to return. This was the reason for Nov 30 programme. A few delegates of this journal Ei Muhurte Kichu Bhavna (and Workers Peasants Unity) were fortunate to be to be present there. They were grateful to  Zpsc for providing hospitality for a couple of nights. Also, they held discussions with comrades of leaders of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union nad Pendu Mazdoor Union., and some other labourers’ organisations and successfully obtained knowledge from them, owing gratitude to all of them.

India: Progressive Democratic Students Union holds 22nd conference in Nizamabad

Harsh Thakor

Countercurrents | December 12, 2022

The 22^nd State Conference of Progressive Democratic Students Union was successfully staged at Nizamabad, Telangana on 1-3 December.

Very positive to witness such a resurgence of democratic revolutionary spirit within the student community, when forces of reaction are operating at helm to patronise globalisation and Hindutva fascism. The legacy of the PDSU was continued which was born in the turbulent decade of the 1970’s.creating a turning point in the revolutionary student movement. Its cadre played an important role in shaping East Godavri Adivasi Movement,tribal movement in Nizamabad and in the field of industrial workers. The organisation seemed determined to resurrect the days of student upheaval of the 1970’s.It gave priority to confronting the twin menace of Brahmanical and Hindutva fascism ,as well as the ascendancy of globalisation and privatisation.