Donor-Recipient Power Imbalances: Lessons Learned from Post-War, Post-Ebola Liberia

A study conducted by researchers from Yale School of Medicine and the University of Liberia’s College of Health Services examined the experiences of collaborators in post-war, post-Ebola Liberia. Through interviews with participants, the researchers found that power imbalances between those with financial resources and those without can limit involvement in decision-making processes and result in outcomes that favor the higher resource group.

The study emphasizes the need for accountability in global health partnerships to promote greater equity for participants in low-resource settings. Factors contributing to power imbalances include a donor’s history of engagement, as well as their levels of transparency and accountability.

To address these issues, it is important to ensure that all parties involved in global health collaborations are given equal opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. This includes providing education and training to help individuals from low-resource settings develop skills needed for effective collaboration. Additionally, donors should be held accountable for their actions and decisions, ensuring that they are transparent and responsive to the needs of their partners.

For more information on this study, titled “Exploring equity in global health collaborations: a qualitative study of donor and recipient power dynamics in Liberia,” by Cakouros et al., published in BMJ Global Health, visit .