How do geopolitical decisions shape health systems in Africa? What happens when armed conflict disrupts a health system? What role do African health institutions play in the governance and financing of health in Africa? What are the global health impacts of climate change, energy crises, and emerging technologies? And whose voices are missing from these conversations?
These are the questions at the heart of The Pan-African Pulse, a new podcast exploring the intersection of global health and geopolitics through a Pan-African lens.
Hosted by University of Oxford doctoral researchers and medical doctors, Dhruv Darji (Zambia) and Kelechi Prince Chima (Nigeria), the podcast was born from a shared conviction that many of the most important conversations in global health are missing the voices of those most affected by them. Frontline health workers, researchers and communities are often left unheard.
The Pan-African Pulse seeks to change that.
At its core, the podcast is guided by three principles. First, it embraces a Pan-African perspective - one that emphasises shared conversations and resilience across the continent. Second, it broadens the concept of “expertise” by recognising that lived experience is as valuable as academic credentials. A nurse in a rural clinic or a community health worker may hold insights that no textbook can provide. Third, it explores how geopolitical forces - including armed conflict, governance and funding dynamics, climate change, and emerging technologies such as digital health and artificial intelligence - shape health in Africa.
Dhruv and Kelechi said: “The Pan-African Pulse is an invitation to listen differently. We want to create a space for honest, unfiltered conversations with the people living, studying and responding to some of the continent’s most pressing health challenges.”
Whether you are a student, practitioner, policymaker, researcher or simply curious about the forces shaping health in Africa, we invite you to join us on this journey.
The Pan-African Pulse officially launched on Africa Day 2026. In the first episode, Dr Alaa Dafallah and Dr Chieyine Nelson join Dhruv and Kelechi to discuss the impact of armed conflict on health systems and global health. Episodes are available on the podcast's website, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.