Unpacking the Anatomy of Aid Dependency with Emilie Koum Besson (Pt 1)

About this episode

Emilie Koum Besson discusses the concept of aid dependency in global health and introduces a framework for understanding its various dimensions.

Send a text For decades, global health has treated aid dependency as a neutral, technical condition, something to measure and manage. But what if dependency is actually a feature of the system, not a bug? Emilie Koum Besson introduces a "Matrix of Dependency Dimensions," revealing eight distinct forms, ranging from historical and epistemic to what she calls "hidden co-dependency," in which elites in both the North and the South benefit from the status quo. She challenges the sustainability-ve...

People in this episode

Guest: Emilie Koum Besson

Topics covered

• aid dependency
• global health
• sustainability
• Matrix of Dependency Dimensions
• co-dependency

Keywords

• aid dependency
• global health
• sustainability
• Matrix of Dependency Dimensions
• co-dependency
• historical dependency
• epistemic dependency

More episodes of Global Health Unfiltered

• Putting communities first in HIV Research with Yvette Raphael · March 13, 2026 · 47 min
• Paying more and Owning less with Nelson Aghogho Evaborhene · February 28, 2026 · 49 min
• Unmasking Global Health: Reflections on 2025 · December 27, 2025 · 40 min
• Unpacking the Anatomy of Aid Dependency with Emilie Koum Besson (Pt 2) · December 6, 2025 · 1h 6m
• Shaping Public Health Leadership with Amb. John Nkengasong · October 10, 2025 · 53 min
• Introducing Africa Health Weekly Podcast · September 6, 2025 · 5 min