Resources and Power in Public Health: Reflections on Rural Nepal and New York City

Global Health Seminar Series 2022-2023

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 / 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

In 2008, as medical school student, Dr. Duncan Maru co-founded Possible Health, which supports Nyaya Health to provide rural healthcare delivery in Nepal. Possible Health’s work started with the revitalization of a hospital in Accham, one of Nepal’s most disadvantaged and remote districts, and now extends over 750 municipalities across the country. More recently he has been engaging in public health work in the government of New York City. Dr. Maru will describe his work in rural Nepal and in urban New York City to reflect on two major learnings gained from his public health experience: (1) that health equity is fundamentally about resource and power distribution, and (2) that health equity must be intertwined with ensuring the rights of health workers.

Duncan Maru, MD, PhD, is Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Equitable Health Systems (BEHS) in the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness (CHECW) in the New York City Department of Public Health. BEHS works to address structural racism and implement evidence-based interventions. He is an epidemiologist and physician trained in internal medicine and pediatrics and an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health at Mount Sinai. He practices clinically at NYC Health + Hospitals / Elmhurst Hospital Center.