Revisiting the Essence of Global Health Partnerships in Family Medicine

Abstract

The discipline of family medicine has a unique opportunity to strengthen primary health care by bridging the gap between person-centered and population-based approaches to achieve universal health coverage.1-4Global health partnerships in family medicine are crucial for advancing this mission but frequently are impeded by challenges like power imbalances, privilege, and financial inequities. In this editorial, we, a group of family medicine global health practitioners based in South Africa, India, and the United States, collectively reflect on the question “What should lie at the heart of global health partnerships in family medicine?” and make a case for building partnerships that promote equity, bidirectional learning, and social accountability.