Paper short abstract:

Over the last thirty years, global health has evolved in different ways without a coherent logic emerging. This paper suggests a critical reexamination of some of the key foci/motives that have guided and legitimized interventions in Global Health.

Paper long abstract:

Over the last thirty years, Global Health has evolved in diverse ways rather than presenting itself as operating with a coherent logic. This paper suggests a critical reexamination of some of the major foci/motives that have guided and legitimized interventions in Global Health. Ranging from military parlance, ‘magic bullets’ approaches and disease-specific interventions to more current frameworks like e.g. collaborative health, the paper contents that current agendas emphasis structural issues of collaboration over content and issues of health care. This raises the important question as to whether and how inclusive (mega-)collaborations (e.g. Global Action Plan for Health (WHO)) can be researched in a meaningful way? What we will term collaboratories of health suggest a critical perspective on the inscribed labor that is involved in doing and working together in health and health services. In course of the argument the paper will also situate promises and practices of digital health within these new configurations of working togetherr for (Global) health.