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Use your research to beat health inequities: four strategies from experts

Scientists must commit to engaging with the communities they want to help at all stages of the research process — from planning to dissemination.
By
  1. Lynn Hendricks

    1. Lynn Hendricks is an associate professor in transdisciplinary health research, and leads the INSPIRE Collab in the Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

  2. Raeka Aiyar

    1. Raeka Aiyar is founder and chief executive of science-outreach firm Community Science in New York, USA.

  3. Uma Palanisamy

    1. Uma Palanisamy is head of the HEARD (HEAlthcaRe needs of the Deaf community) team at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

  4. Nyasha Phanisa Sithole

    1. Nyasha Phanisa Sithole is an HIV-prevention advocate working in Zimbabwe.

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In the past few weeks, global health research programmes have been shaken by events in the United States. These include the country’s intention to withdraw from the World Health Organization, a freeze on foreign aid from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. HIV programmes are closing down, trials of malaria drugs have ceased and academic societies and universities have scrubbed their websites of mentions of DEI.

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Nature 639, 35-37 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00619-w

References

  1. Torres, J. M. et al. J. Clin. Oncol. 42, 3867–3879 (2024).

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  2. Hendricks, L. A. et al. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 19, 11317 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Landry, J. J. M. et al. G3 Genes Genom. Genet. 3, 1213–1224 (2013).

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Competing Interests

R.A. is the owner of Community Science, a science-outreach firm.

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