Integrating perspectives in developing mycorrhizal trait databases: a call for inclusive and collaborative continental efforts.

Global assessments of mycorrhizal symbiosis present large sampling gaps in rich biodiversity regions. Filling these gaps is necessary to build large-scale, unbiased mycorrhizal databases to obtain reliable analyses and prevent misleading generalizations. Underrepresented regions in mycorrhizal research are mainly in Africa, Asia, and South America. Despite the high biodiversity and endemism in these regions, many groups of organisms remain understudied, especially mycorrhizal fungi. In this Viewpoint, we emphasize the importance of inclusive and collaborative continental efforts in integrating perspectives for comprehensive trait database development and propose a conceptual framework that can help build large mycorrhizal databases in underrepresented regions. Based on the four Vs of big data (volume, variety, veracity, and velocity), we identify the main challenges of constructing a large mycorrhizal dataset and propose solutions for each challenge. We share our collaborative methodology, which involves employing open calls and working groups to engage all mycorrhizal researchers in the region to build a South American Mycorrhizal Database. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and embracing a continental-scale approach, we can create robust mycorrhizal trait databases that provide valuable insights into the evolution, ecology, and functioning of mycorrhizal associations, reducing the geographical biases that are so common in large-scale ecological studies.

A critical systematic review and meta-analyses of risk factors for fertility problems in a globalized world.

Globally, fertility awareness efforts include well-established risk factors for fertility problems. Risks disproportionately affecting women in the Global South, however, are neglected. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of relevant risk factors to examine the association between risk factors and fertility problems. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, regional databases and key organizational websites were used. Three authors screened and extracted data independently. Studies assessing exposure to risk (clinical, community-based samples) were included, and studies without control groups were excluded. Outcome of interest was fertility problems, e.g. inability to achieve pregnancy, live birth, neonatal death depending on study. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. A total of 3843 studies were identified, and 62 were included (58 in meta-analyses; n = 111,977). Results revealed the following: a ninefold risk of inability to become pregnant in genital tuberculosis (OR 8.91, 95% CI 1.89 to 42.12); an almost threefold risk in human immunodeficiency virus (OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.95 to 4.42) and bacterial vaginosis (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.85 to 4.27); a twofold risk of tubal-factor infertility in female genital mutilation/cutting-Type II/III (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.15); and postnatal mortality in consanguinity (stillbirth, OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.57; neonatal death, OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.02). It seems that risk factors affected reproductive processes through multiple pathways. Health promotion encompassing relevant health indicators could enhance prevention and early detection of fertility problems in the Global South and disproportionately affected populations. The multifactorial risk profile reinforces the need to place fertility within global health initiatives.

The scope of empowerment for conservation and communities.

Conservationists increasingly position conservation that is mutually beneficial to people and biodiversity on the promise of empowerment of people through participatory discourse, metrics, processes, and outcomes. Empowerment represents multidimensional concepts and theories that permeate the interlinking levels of power, from the psychological to the political, and social scales in which conservation operates. The multifaceted nature of empowerment makes it challenging to understand, pursue, and evaluate as a central philosophical commitment and goal-oriented practice in conservation. Moreover, definitional and methodological uncertainty may disempower interested and affected groups because they can foster conceptual assumptions that reinforce institutionalized barriers to systemic changes. Despite these complexities, there are no targeted reviews of empowerment in conservation. We conducted a scoping review of the conservation literature to synthesize the meanings and uses of empowerment in the field. We reviewed 121 of the most cited conservation articles that invoked or assessed empowerment from 1992 to 2017 to document geographic, conceptual, and methodological trends in the scales and theories of empowerment deployed by conservationists. Research claiming or assessing empowerment through conservation often focused on communities in the Global South. Most studies relied on qualitative and mixed methods (78%) collected largely from male or non-Indigenous participants. Few studies (30%) defined the 20 types of empowerment they referenced. Fewer studies (3%) applied empowerment theories in their work. Our findings show that empowerment discourse of local and Indigenous communities permeates the discourse of people-centered conservation. Yet, overreliance on empowerment's rhetorical promise and minimal engagement with theory (e.g., postcolonial theory) risks disempowering people by obscuring empowerment's foundational value to conservation and communities and oversimplifying the complex realities of people-centered conservation. Lasting change could come from more meaningful engagement with empowerment, including coproducing definitions and measures with and for disempowered social groups to tackle widespread power disparities in conservation today.

El alcance del empoderamiento para la conservación y las comunidades Resumen Con frecuencia los conservacionistas posicionan a la conservación como benéfica para las personas y la biodiversidad mediante discursos, medidas, procesos y resultados participativos que prometen el empoderamiento de la gente. El empoderamiento representa conceptos y teorías multidimensionales que permean los niveles interconectados de poder, desde el psicológico al político, y las escalas sociales en las que opera la conservación. La naturaleza multifacética del empoderamiento complica que se entienda, se dé seguimiento y se evalúe como un compromiso filosófico central y una práctica orientada hacia las metas dentro de la conservación. Además, la incertidumbre metodológica y de definición pueden restar autoridad a los grupos interesados o afectados pues pueden promover suposiciones conceptuales que refuerzan las barreras institucionales de los cambios sistémicos. A pesar de estas complejidades, no existen revisiones focalizadas del empoderamiento en la conservación. Realizamos una revisión de alcance de la literatura de conservación para sintetizar los significados y usos de la palabra empoderamiento en este campo. Revisamos 121 de los artículos sobre conservación más citados que invocaron o evaluaron el empoderamiento entre 1992 y 2017 para documentar las tendencias geográficas, conceptuales y metodológicas en las escalas y teorías del empoderamiento usadas por los conservacionistas. La mayoría de los artículos que afirmaban o evaluaban el empoderamiento por medio de la conservación se enfocaron en comunidades del Sur Global. La mayoría de los estudios dependieron de métodos cualitativos y mixtos (78%) tomados principalmente de participantes masculinos o no indígenas. Pocos estudios (30%) definieron los 20 tipos de empoderamiento que referenciaron. Todavía menos estudios (3%) aplicaron las teorías de empoderamiento a su trabajo. Nuestros descubrimientos muestran que el discurso de empoderamiento de las comunidades locales e indígenas permea el discurso de la conservación centrada en la gente. Sin embargo, depender en exceso de la promesa retórica del empoderamiento e involucrarse en lo mínimo con la teoría (p. ej.: teoría postcolonial) arriesga que la gente se pierda autoridad al oscurecer el valor fundamental que tiene el empoderamiento para la conservación y las comunidades y simplificar sobremanera las realidades complejas de la conservación centrada en las personas. El cambio duradero podría venir de involucrarse de forma más significativa con el empoderamiento, lo que incluye la coproducción de definiciones y medidas con y para los grupos sociales no empoderados para resolver la disparidad de poder que existe hoy en día en la conservación.

Association Between Household Deprivation and Living in Informal Settlements and Incidence of Diarrhea in Children Under 5 in Eleven Latin American Cities.

Diarrhea is a leading cause of death in children globally, mostly due to inadequate sanitary conditions and overcrowding. Poor housing quality and lack of tenure security that characterize informal settlements are key underlying contributors to these risk factors for childhood diarrhea deaths. The objective of this study is to better understand the physical attributes of informal settlement households in Latin American cities that are associated with childhood diarrhea. We used data from a household survey (Encuesta CAF) conducted by the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), using responses from sampled individuals in eleven cities. We created a household deprivation score based on household water and sewage infrastructure, overcrowding, flooring and wall material, and security of tenure. We fitted a multivariable logistic regression model to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) to test the association between the deprivation score and its individual components and childhood diarrhea during the prior 2 weeks. We included a total of 4732 households with children, out of which 12.2% had diarrhea in the 2-week period prior to completing the survey. After adjusting for respondent age, gender, and city, we found a higher risk of diarrhea associated with higher household deprivation scores. Specifically, we found that the odds of diarrhea for children living in a mild and severe deprived household were 1.04 (95% CI 0.84-1.28) and 3.19 times (95% CI 1.80-5.63) higher, respectively, in comparison to households with no deprivation. These results highlight the connections between childhood health and deprived living conditions common in informal settlements.

Factors influencing clinician-educators' assessment practice in varied Southern contexts: a health behaviour theory perspective.

In many contexts, responsibility for exit-level assessment design and implementation in undergraduate medical programmes lies with individuals who convene clinical clerkships. Their assessment practice has significant consequences for students' learning and the patients and communities that graduates will serve. Interventions to enhance assessment must involve these assessors, yet little is known about factors influencing their assessment practice. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence assessment practice of clerkship convenors in three varied low-and-middle income contexts in the global South. Taking assessment practice as a behaviour, Health Behaviour Theory (HBT) was deployed as a theoretical framework to explore, describe and explain assessor behaviour. Thirty-one clinician-educators responsible for designing and implementing high-stakes clerkship assessment were interviewed in South Africa and Mexico. Interacting personal and contextual factors influencing clinician-educator assessment intention and action were identified. These included attitude, influenced by impact and response appraisal, and perceived self-efficacy; along with interpersonal, physical and organisational, and distal contextual factors. Personal competencies and conducive environments supported intention to action transition. While previous research has typically explored factors in isolation, the HBT framing enabled a systematic and coherent account of assessor behaviour. These findings add a particular contextual perspective to understanding assessment practice, yet also resonate with and extend existing work that predominantly emanates from high-income contexts in the global North. These findings provide a foundation for the planning of assessment change initiatives, such as targeted, multi-factorial faculty development.

Research in Latin America from a decolonial perspective: Challenges of producing socially situated knowledge.

The developmental science literature predominantly originates from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) countries. This bias perpetuates colonial power imbalances and marginalizes non-WEIRD societies' knowledge. This special issue addresses this gap by focusing on Latin America, emphasizing the region's diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and political contexts. This commentary contextualizes research in Latin America, and then presents and discusses the articles. Finally, it presents some of the challenges researchers in Latin America face.

Inhalant abuse among street-involved children and adolescents in India: Case for epistemic recognition and reorientation.

Contextualizing the void of research on inhalant abuse among adolescents as epistemic neglect, in this study, we use mixed-methods action research to understand inhalant abuse in a specific context in the Global South. Focusing on a large metropolitan city in Western India, we surveyed 158 street-involved children and adolescents (110 boys and 48 girls, age range from 5 to 17 years) in a group setting along with follow-up group interviews. Despite finding a high prevalence rate of inhalant abuse, our work suggests an absence of supporting structures and emphasizes the need to revisit our understanding and interpretation of substance-using behavior of street-involved youth. Instead of explaining inhalant-abusing behavior as emerging from pathological deficiencies in individuals or households, we stress the need to critically examine the exploitative environment they are embedded in. In doing so, we join efforts to decolonize conventional ways of understanding "deviant" behavior.

Voices of Silence: Experiences in Disseminating Scholarship as a Global South Researcher.

Issue: There is an unspoken requirement that medical education researchers living in the Global South must disseminate their work using dominant frames constructed by individuals living in the Global North. As such, the published literature in our field is dominated by researchers whose work primarily benefits the Western world, casting the rest of what is published as localized and unhelpful knowledge. In this article, we use Audre Lorde's conception of the Master's house as a metaphor to narrate the experiences of two South African medical education researchers trying to disseminate their work into North American venues. In addition to narrating these stories, we describe the personal and professional consequences they experienced as a result of their efforts. Evidence: For researchers working outside of the Global North, entering the Master's formidable house is daunting, and there is no clear pathway in. These narratives illustrate how reviewers and editorial staff act as gatekeepers, continuously shaping ideas about what it means to do acceptable research, and who is allowed to disseminate it within the field. These narratives also show that those who have been rejected by these gatekeepers are often conflicted about their position within the larger field of medical education. Implications: To begin to address this issue, we have made several suggestions for the research community to consider. First, medical education research journals need to create spaces for researchers publishing from the Global South. One suggestion is for journals to create a submission type that is dedicated to researchers working outside of North America. Second, journals should also include more Global South editors and reviewers to help with knowledge translation when articles are submitted from outside North America. If our collective goal is to improve the training of physicians and the health outcomes of humanity, then we need to renovate the Master's house and begin to break down the barriers that separate us from truly building together.

Medical Teacher's equity diversity inclusion policy.

Medical Teacher is a leading international journal in health professions education. The Journal recognizes its responsibility to publish papers that reflect the breadth of topics that meet the needs of its readers around the globe including contributions from countries underrepresented in the health professions education arena. This paper sets out the Journal's policy with regard to Equity Diversity Inclusion (EDI) and the steps to be taken to implement the policy in practice.

The war on drugs is a war on us: young people who use drugs and the fight for harm reduction in the Global South.

In the Global South, young people who use drugs (YPWUD) are exposed to multiple interconnected social and health harms, with many low- and middle-income countries enforcing racist, prohibitionist-based drug policies that generate physical and structural violence. While harm reduction coverage for YPWUD is suboptimal globally, in low- and middle-income countries youth-focused harm reduction programs are particularly lacking. Those that do exist are often powerfully shaped by global health funding regimes that restrict progressive approaches and reach. In this commentary we highlight the efforts of young people, activists, allies, and organisations across some Global South settings to enact programs such as those focused on peer-to-peer information sharing and advocacy, overdose monitoring and response, and drug checking. We draw on our experiential knowledge and expertise to identify and discuss key challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for youth harm reduction movements, programs and practices in low- to middle-income countries and beyond, focusing on the need for youth-driven interventions. We conclude this commentary with several calls to action to advance harm reduction for YPWUD within and across Global South settings.

Developing and transferring a children's surgical training program from India to Africa a south-to-south global initiative.

PURPOSE: The availability of children's surgical care in lower middle-income countries is lacking. The authors describe a hub and spoke global training initiative in children's surgery for adult teams from district hospitals (spokes) comprising general and orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetists, and nurses and specialist children's surgical trainers from tertiary centres (hubs) in delivering the course. METHODS: The training course developed in Vellore, trained several sets of district hospital adult teams and trainer teams in India. Six specialist children's surgical trainer teams were invited from African countries to the course delivered in Vellore, India. The aim was to train them to deliver the course in their countries. RESULTS: Participants underwent a precourse 'train the trainer' program, observed and assessed the suitability of the district hospital training course. The program received positive feedback, government supported planning of similar courses in some of the countries and discussions in others. CONCLUSION: The availability of children's surgical care is similarly limited in the Asian and African continent, and the regions have shared challenges of disease burden, lack of access, poverty, deficient infrastructure, and trained human resources. They would benefit from this 'South to South' collaboration to impart training skills and modules to the children's surgical trainers.

Impact of mineral based social equity on unearthing inequities: A longitudinal analysis of environmental and social equity of mineral exploitation in the global south.

Mineral extraction plays a pivotal role in economic growth and development of the Global South, serving as a cornerstone for numerous industries and contributing significantly to national economies. However, its exploitation often comes with significant environmental and social challenges. This research paper examines the impacts of mineral extraction on environmental sustainability and social equity in the Global South, focusing particularly on China over the past two decades (2002-2022). Utilizing the Dynamic Autoregressive Distributed Lag (DARDL) methodology, we offer a comprehensive empirical analysis of the impact of mineral extraction on environmental and social implications. Our findings provide an in-depth perspective, highlighting the multifaceted nature of this relationship. The study underscores the temporal dynamics and evolving nature of the environmental and social repercussions associated with mineral extraction. It offers critical insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and civil society organizations engaged in the Global South.

Elucidating the phytoremediation potentials and ecophysiological mechanisms of indicator plants in the industrial polluted region.

The integrity of natural ecosystems, particularly in the Global South, is increasingly compromised by industrial contaminants. Our study examines the growth of plant species adapted to ecosystems impacted by heavy metal pollution, specifically focusing on their phytoremediation capabilities and tolerance to contaminants. The potential of pollution-tolerant species was evaluated in the industrial subtropical wetland of Sialkot, Pakistan. Employing quantitative ecological methods, data on vegetation, phytosociological attributes, and soil properties were gathered from 450 plots across different pollution gradients. The study pinpointed 17 key indicator species tolerating high heavy metal pollution out of 182 surveyed, using a combination of Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) and the Importance Value Index (IVI). These species demonstrated diverse capacities to extract, stabilize, and accumulate heavy metals (Cr, Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Ni, Hg, and Pb) across varying pollution zones. Notably, Cannabis sativa demonstrated substantial phytoextraction of Zn and Cd, with concentrations reaching 1977.25 µg/g and 1362.78 µg/g, respectively. Arundo donax showed marked hyperaccumulation of Cd, peaking at 410.531 µg/g. Achyranthes aspera was remarkable for its extraction and accumulation of Ni and Cu, with concentrations of 242.412 µg/g and 77.2997 µg/g, respectively. Physiological changes, such as increased proline levels in Cannabis sativa and Achyranthes aspera reaching 39.041 µg/g and 27.523 µg/g under high metal concentrations, indicated adaptation to metal stress. Declines in chlorophyll and carotenoid levels were also observed as metal contamination increased, with up to 35% reductions in some species. These findings underscore the potential efficacy of selected plant species in phytoremediation and highlight the importance of physiological responses in their tolerance to metals, providing valuable information for targeted remediation strategies in polluted ecosystems and improving environmental management and sustainable practices.

A global comparative study on the impact of COVID-19 policy on atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2): Evidence from remote sensing data in 2019-2022.

A significant body of research has documented the profound changes in global atmospheric conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is still an inadequate comprehensive comparison and assessment of countries before, during, and after the pandemic. Variations in restriction policies, human behaviors, and national traits lead to significant differences in how restriction policies affect atmospheric pollution. This study focuses on NO2, a pollutant with high temporal sensitivity, and utilizes the Oxford COVID-19 policy stringency index along with demographic information. Through spatial-temporal mapping, we analyzed NO2 emission fluctuations and calculated the emission changes in each country. Drawing from this analysis, we explored the relationships among these factors and found that over the span of 2019-2022, across 193 countries, global NO2 emissions displayed a distinct trajectory: initially decreasing, subsequently rebounding, and eventually fluctuating. Most countries exhibited seasonal variations in NO2 emissions. Additionally, the study uncovered a correlation between the stringency of COVID-19 policies and the reduction in NO2 emissions: as policies became stricter, emissions significantly decreased in most countries. In contrast, in countries with lower population densities, stricter policies paradoxically led to an increase in emissions. These findings underscore the importance of considering demographic factors and geographical context in the formulation and implementation of environmental policies.

Minimally good life and the human right to health.

In Global Health Impact: Extending Access to Essential Medicines, Nicole Hassoun argues that the concept of a minimally good life grounds the human right to health, which in turn implies the human right to access essential medicines in developing countries. This article argues that Hassoun's argument must be revised. If the temporal unit of a minimally good life is identified, her argument faces a substantive problem, which undermines an important part of her argument. This article then proposes a solution to this problem. If this proposed solution is accepted, Hassoun's project turns out to be more radical than her argument is supposed to be.

What does the Thinking about Relationalism and Humanness in African Philosophy imply for Different Modes of Being Present in the Metaverse?

In this article, I interrogate whether the deployment and development of the Metaverse should take into account African values and modes of knowing to foster the uptake of this hyped technology in Africa. Specifically, I draw on the moral norms arising from the components of communal interactions and humanness in Afro-communitarianism to contend that the deployment of the Metaverse and its development ought to reflect core African moral values to foster its uptake in the region. To adequately align the Metaverse with African core values and thus foster its uptake among Africans, significant technological advancement that makes simulating genuine human experiences possible must occur. Additionally, it would be necessary for the developers and deployers to ensure that higher forms of spiritual activities can be had in the Metaverse to foster its uptake in Africa. Finally, I justify why the preceding points do not necessarily imply that the Metaverse will have a higher moral status than real life on the moral scale that can be grounded in Afro-communitarianism.

Decolonizing nursing knowledge: Challenging Eurocentrism centering Global South voices.

BACKGROUND: Exploring decolonization in nursing knowledge, particularly through Latin American nursologists, is crucial. Initially focused on underrecognized thought schools in Latin America and the concept of "Cuidado" versus Eurocentric paradigms, this paper extends the discussion on decolonization as potentially colonizing. PURPOSE: This paper examines the decolonization discourse in nursing reinforcing colonization, arguing that the nursing metaparadigm remains Eurocentric, neglecting Global South contributions. METHODS: The article critically discusses emerging theoretical ideas and situational theories from Latin America relevant to decolonizing nursing knowledge, providing analysis and proposing decolonization paths in nursing. DISCUSSION: The paper calls for genuine decolonization, urging Global North scholars to engage with indigenous, marginalized, and non-Western perspectives. It stresses the importance of acknowledging historical injustices, fostering cultural sensitivity, and revising nursing curricula for inclusivity and equity. CONCLUSION: Ultimately, the paper advocates for a transformative approach to nursing knowledge that challenges colonial legacies, promoting a more inclusive and equitable field.

From a national elite to the global elite: Possibilities and problems in scaling up.

This research note highlights emerging findings that speak to the challenges of joining the transnational elite, particularly for those coming from the Global South. For a longitudinal study of wealth inheritors becoming more transnational via their educational paths, we spoke with 16 young people who were all in their early 20s and primarily from economic elite families in the Global South. Some participants had clear ambitions, while others were less sure about their future, wondering where they should move and what they should do when they got there. Their various narratives reveal that underlying the possibilities and problems of where to locate themselves was our participants' access to different constellations of economic, social and cultural capital, as well as their race, citizenship and 'home' country's geopolitical situation. Their parents' ambitions that they become part of a global elite remained in most cases largely unfulfilled-despite a significant economic investment in their secondary and university educations. Only a small minority of our participants aspired to and/or were able to secure such transnational futures.

Like diamonds in the sky? Public perceptions, governance, and information framing of solar geoengineering activities in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Solar geoengineering (also known as solar radiation modification) is garnering more attention (and controversy) among media and policymakers in response to the impacts of climate change. Such debates have become more prominent following the first-ever field trials of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) in 2022. How the lay public perceives solar geoengineering remains unclear, however. We use nationally representative samples (N = 3013) in Mexico, United States, and United Kingdom to examine public perceptions of risks and benefits, support, and policy preferences. We also employ an information-framing design that presented individuals with media-style reports on SAI activities differing along three dimensions: location, actor, and scale and purpose. Support for SAI is found to be generally higher in Mexico; perceptions of risks and benefits do not differ between countries. Information about SAI activities has a limited effect. There is evidence that activities conducted by universities receive more support than those by start-up companies.

Emerging professional practices focusing on reducing inequity in speech-language therapy and audiology: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: For the professions of audiology and speech-language therapy (A/SLT), there continues be a dire need for more equitable services. Therefore there is a need to develop emerging practices which have a specific focus on equity as a driving force in shifting practices. This scoping review aimed to synthesise the characteristics of emerging practices in A/SLT clinical practice in relation to equity with an emphasis on communication professions. METHODS: This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and aimed to map the emerging practices in A/SLT to identify the ways in which the professions are developing equitable practices. Papers were included if they addressed equity, focused on clinical practice and were situated within A/SLT literature. There were no time or language restrictions. The review included all sources of evidence across PubMed, Scopus, EbscoHost, The Cochrane Library and Dissertation Abstracts International, Education Resource Information Centre from their inception. The review uses PRISMA Extension for scoping reviews and PRISMA-Equity Extension reporting guidelines. RESULTS: The 20 included studies ranged from 1997-2020, spanning over 20 years. There were a variety of papers including empirical studies, commentaries, reviews and research. The results demonstrated that the professions were increasingly considering addressing equity through their practice. However, there was a prominent focus around culturally and linguistically diverse populations, with limited engagement around other intersections of marginalisation. The results also showed that while the majority of contributions to theorising equity are from the Global North with a small cluster from the Global South offering critical contributions considering social categories such as race and class. Collectively the contributions from the Global South remain a very small minority of the professional discourse which have a focus on equity. CONCLUSION: Over the last eight years, the A/SLT professions are increasingly developing emerging practices to advance equity by engaging with marginalised communities. However, the professions have a long way to go to achieve equitable practice. The decolonial lens acknowledges the impact and influence of colonisation and coloniality in shaping inequity. Using this lens, we argue for the need to consider communication as a key aspect of health necessary to achieve health equity.