Classifying countries and people with Themrise Khan

Global Health Unfiltered

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In this episode, we discuss words. Not just any words but words we use in global health to classify countries and people. Words like global North, global South, HIC, LMIC, developing and developed countries, first and third world. If you work in global health on international development, chances are that you have used at least one or several of those terms. But these terms that we use to classify countries and people carry with them certain assumptions and implications. Our guest is Themrise Khan, an independent development professional, and researcher with over 25 years of practitioner and policy-based experience in international development, aid effectiveness, gender, and global migration. She has co-authored an editorial in BMJ-Global Health called "How we classify countries and people—and why it matters". We spoke with her about the various terms we use to classify people and their implications for global health and international development.
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Readings:
Read Themrise's editorial: https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/6/e009704
Follow Themrise on Twitter: @Themrise
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Artwork: Chidiebere Ibe
Theme music: Antidote by Ketsa