Why should we be concerned by internalised racism in global health

Bibliographic Data

ID21878530
AuthorsBipin Adhikari (0000-0001-8981-3910, Mahidol University), Chanaki Amaratunga (Mahidol University), Ferdinand C Mukumbang (0000-0003-1441-2172, University of Washington), Shiva Raj Mishra (0000-0002-2993-3504, Chitwan Medical College)
Year2025
Volume10
Issue6
Pagese016740
Publication date2025-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2024-016740
PMID40527526
OpenAlexW4411383915
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited60

Internalised racism constitutes an adoption of beliefs about one’s inferiority, weaknesses or shortcomings as a function of racial hierarchy affecting one’s identity and self-worth, thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Internalised racism stems from widely known and discussed institutional racial discrimination, which perpetuates epistemic injustice, social injustice and health inequities in global health. In this article, reflecting on our experiential knowledge from working on global health, we engage with relevant literature to (1) highlight the concepts associated with internalised racism, (2) explore the potential impacts of internalised racism on individuals, organisations and global health and (3) propose strategies to redress and mitigate its impact on global health practice

Global health · Health care · Health equity · Injustice · Political science · Public relations · Racism · Redress · Social determinants of health · Sociology · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Gender Studies · Health and Conflict Studies · Law · Psychology · Public Health Policies and Education · Social Psychology