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What is a good death? Decolonising end-of-life care

What is a good death? Decolonising end-of-life care

Inaugural lecture from Shahaduz Zaman, Professor in Medical Anthropology and Global Health, BSMS

Wednesday 19 February 2025, doors open at 6pm

Chowen Lecture Theatre, Medical Teaching Building, University of Sussex, BN1 9PX

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About this session

Globally, interest is growing in defining a ‘good death’ and providing culturally relevant end-of-life care, but no clear consensus exists.

While notions of a good death differ between the Global North and South, Global North frameworks often dominate. For instance, The Economist’s Quality of Death Index ranks countries on ‘good death’ provision, with Western nations leading. It promotes medicalised, institutionalised palliative care as the ideal, urging lower-ranked Global South countries to follow suit.

Using a decolonial lens, this lecture will critique the universalisation of such models and advocate for diverse, culturally grounded approaches to dying and end-of-life care.

Professor Shahaduz Zaman, a physician turned medical anthropologist, will reflect on his journey from working as a doctor in rural Bangladesh to addressing global health issues across South Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean. His experiences led him to adopt a decolonial perspective, focusing on end-of-life care as a key area for pursuing decolonisation.

Free event. All are welcome. If you would like to attend, please register online no later than 48 hours prior to the event.

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