Background to systems thinking

This episode considers how 'systems thinking' tools, methods and approaches have been used in different fields. We speak to two leaders in applying systems thinking to business and organizational issues. The discussion covers the background to systems thinking, overcoming challenges, importance of building a foundation for change, notions of linear evaluation, some real-world failures and successes, and how current events demonstrate the need for systems thinking on a global scale.  Guests:  David Peter Stroh, Founding Director of Applied Systems ThinkingMichael Goodman, Founding Director of Applied Systems Thinking

The science – and art – of systems thinking in health

This episode considers how 'systems thinking' tools, methods and approaches have been used in health policy and systems research, and how systems thinking is both 'art' and 'science'. We speak to two experts with experience applying systems thinking in a variety of health contexts and ask 'what represents 'scientific rigour' in health systems science?'.  Guests: Karl Blanchet, Director of the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, University of Geneva, and co-editor of Systems thinking for health systems strengthening: a methodological handbookKara Durski, epidemiologist and systems thinker affiliated with the World Health Organization and the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota

LMIC experiences in systems thinking

This episode draws on the experiences of two practitioners using systems thinking in low and middle income country contexts. We speak to two medical doctors about their work in India and in Syria, get insight from real-world applications, discuss challenges related to resources, training, environment, power, short term vs long term considerations.  Guests:Abdulkarim Ekzayez, epidemiologist, and research associate at King's College London Prashanth N S, Lead of the Health Equity Cluster and DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Fellow, Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru

Systems thinking: political and policy challenges

This episode looks at the implementation challenges of systems thinking, in particular the political economy of adopting a systems thinking approach to health sector reforms, agenda setting and policy implementation. We speak to two policy makers about their experience using systems thinking to develop collaborations and partnerships, and to achieve consensus.  Guests: Midori de Habich, former Minister of Health, PeruAndrew Leigh MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities and Federal Member for Fenner in the Australian Capital Territory

Deep Dive: Sodium reduction in China

There’s a link between eating too much salt and high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the world’s biggest killer. To mark World Heart Day on September 29th, we present a deep dive episode on one of the largest dietary interventions ever conducted, exploring effects of sodium reduction on heart health. In conversation with Professor Bruce Neal, Maoyi Tan and Zeng Ge reflect on their experiences working on the China Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS) which showed significant benefit from using reduced-sodium salts to prevent adverse consequences of high blood pressure. They discuss the major challenges and opportunities to increasing the uptake and use of potassium-enriched salts in China, and its health benefits globally.

DEEP DIVE: To end the silent epidemic of drowning, whose voice matters?

To mark World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25th, we present a deep dive episode from The George Institute in which Dr Jagnoor Jagnoor discusses the table of influence in drowning prevention with global experts. Globally, an estimated 236,000 lives are lost to drowning every year - almost 650 every day, 26 every hour. Drowning is an issue that affects every nation of the world, and its scale and impact have been recognised at the global level with the adoption of a historic resolution to address it in 2021. In this conversation, our guests will draw on their experiences of drowning prevention in India, Africa and the UK to consider how best to strengthen regional actions such that it is inclusive, responsive to lived experience, and is context specific. We can all act together to end drowning.

Worlds Collide: Western world views shape medical education and global health research

About the series The Scan miniseries ‘Worlds Collide’ feature two well-known global health researchers from different parts of the globe, Jaime Miranda, from Peru, and Seye Abimbola, from Nigeria. Each wears a variety of ‘hats’, holding a number of positions, in different countries. Featuring unstructured conversations as they reflect on daily interactions it offers illuminating insight on navigating work and cultural perspectives. It offers the audience an intimate setting as they share their experiences with each other – and us! The final episode of this four-part series reflects on the way Western world views shape medical education and global health research as a result

Worlds Collide: How editors shape an academic journal

About the series 

The Scan miniseries ‘Worlds Collide’ feature two well-known global health researchers from different parts of the globe, Jaime Miranda, from Peru, and Seye Abimbola, from Nigeria. Each wears a variety of ‘hats’, holding a number of positions, in different countries. Featuring unstructured conversations as they reflect on daily interactions it offers illuminating insight on navigating work and cultural perspectives. It offers the audience an intimate setting as they share their experiences with each other – and us!

In the third episode of this four-part series, among other items, Jaime and Seye reflect on how editors shape an academic journal and the kind of research papers that may be favoured in prestigious journals.

Worlds Collide: Decolonising minds and navigating the academic space

About the series The Scan miniseries ‘Worlds Collide’ feature two well-known global health researchers from different parts of the globe, Jaime Miranda, from Peru, and Seye Abimbola, from Nigeria. Each wears a variety of ‘hats’, holding a number of positions, in different countries. Featuring unstructured conversations as they reflect on daily interactions it offers illuminating insight on navigating work and cultural perspectives. It offers the audience an intimate setting as they share their experiences with each other – and us!

In the second episode of this four-part series, Jaime and Seye chat about decolonising minds in the global health space and navigating the academic space as people from the global south.

Worlds Collide: Growing up in non-Western culture & effect on thinking about global health

The Scan miniseries ‘Worlds Collide’ feature two well-known global health researchers from different parts of the globe, Jaime Miranda, from Peru, and Seye Abimbola, from Nigeria. Each wears a variety of ‘hats’, holding a number of positions, in different countries. Featuring unstructured conversations as they reflect on daily interactions it offers illuminating insight on navigating work and cultural perspectives. It offers the audience an intimate setting as they share their experiences with each other – and us!

In the first episode of this four-part series the two health researchers reflect on growing up in non Western cultures and how it affects the way they think about global health and academics.

About the speakers

Jaime Miranda is a health systems researcher from Peru. He holds appointments as Professor of Global Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Lown Scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Boston USA; and is a Visiting Professorial Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health Australia; is a member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) of Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research from the World Health Organization for the period 2021-24; and is a member of the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) appointed by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in charge of drafting the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report. Professor Miranda trained in medicine at Cayetano Heredia University (Spanish: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, (UPCH)) and earned a PhD in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK).

Seye Abimbola is a health systems researcher from Nigeria. Amongst other roles, he is Prince Claus Chair in Equity and Development at Utrecht University, The Netherlands; a senior lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney in Australia; and is editor in chief of BMJ Global Health; a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Health System Governance Collaborative; and serves on the advisory council of Global Health 50/50. Seye had his initial training in medicine at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Nigeria and gained his PhD from Sydney University in 2016, on a wide-ranging institutional analysis of primary health care governance in Nigeria. From 2018-2019, Seye was a Sidney Sax Overseas Early Career Fellow at the University of Oxford.