Spotlighting Examples of Inequities

Raudah Yunus (Malaysia, 2019) and Gideon Lasco (Philippines, 2019) are public health professionals who are passionate about using writing to promote equity. Both were deeply moved by their visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, during their Asia Trek experience, and their interactions with refugees served as a call to action.

front lines, and improving migrant workers’ access to health services.

to make a greater impact for this marginalized population,” Raudah recalled. Gideon wrote a column on “The Rohingya conundrum” for the Philippine Daily Inquirer soon a er the visit to Bangladesh, and more recently, the two coauthored a March 2021 opinion piece in The Daily Star that called for renewed attention to the plight of the Rohingya.

For instance, they pointed out that migrant workers o en are le out of universal health coverage schemes in ASEAN countries, and they urged global health leaders to make COVID-19 vaccines more readily available to lower and middle income countries.

Raudah and Gideon also want to li up other examples of inequities in health. When COVID-19 struck, they encouraged Fellows in their cohort to write about their experiences as “equity warriors” who were responding to COVID’s impact on marginalized groups. EI published the essays from 11 Fellows in a collection titled Vignettes of Equity. Raudah and Gideon have made equity a focus in their published articles on vaccine equity and hesitancy, health workers on the political

By spotlighting equity issues through their writing, Raudah and Gideon hope to encourage community members, young professionals, and policy makers to take action within their respective capacities. They also find benefits in the collaborative process. “You get to learn from someone who shares your ideas and values, and think in new ways about creating impact,” Raudah finds. “It keeps you connected to other Fellows, even those who are not directly involved in the writing.” Gideon also sees the benefits of drawing on multiple perspectives: “Co-writing enriches the text both in symbol and substance, giving the potential to be more powerful and effective.”

– Taking Many Paths to Health Equity