In this episode of World Health Voices on OncoDaily TV, Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan speaks with Priti Patnaik, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Geneva Health Files, about the politics, power structures, financing, and accountability challenges shaping global health.
Patnaik explains why she launched Geneva Health Files during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it grew into an independent, reader-funded publication covering global health diplomacy and negotiations. She discusses her reporting on the WHO pandemic agreement, amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), WTO intellectual-property negotiations, and the ongoing pathogen access and benefit-sharing discussions.
The conversation also explores the challenges of reporting on closed-door international negotiations, the difference between public statements and private diplomacy, misinformation and declining trust in journalism, and the importance of investigative reporting in public health. Patnaik reflects on her experience working inside a UN public health agency, her path from financial journalism to global health reporting, and the importance of reader-funded journalism for maintaining editorial independence. The interview concludes with her assessment of the future of global health.