Talk on anthropological perspective of health during colonisation

Islamabad : Prof Ayaz Qureshi from University of Edinburgh,UK, discussed the complex relationships between global health, international development and colonial histories.

Dr Qureshi was delivering a lecture on “An anthropological perspective of global health and its colonial roots” hosted here by Department of Anthropology, Quaid-i-Azam University.

Dr Qureshi who authored ‘AIDS in Pakistan: bureaucracy, public goods and NGOs’ Drawing on a brief history of biomedical interventions during the era of colonial and tropical medicine, he illuminated the evolution of what we now term ‘global health.’

The lecture stressed the dual role of biomedicine, both as a tool for empire-building and as a mechanism to strengthen the legitimacy of colonial projects. Using case studies such as the eradication of Smallpox, the battle against Malaria and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, he highlighted how colonial histories remain entangled with contemporary global health efforts.

Dr Inam Ullah Leghari, Chairperson, Department of Anthropology, expressed gratitude to the guest speaker for sharing profound insights with faculty and students. He also thanked the audience for participation.