BIOACTIVISM
Bioactivism is the concept of championing for biological rights of all people. Much like social activists, bioactivists recognize that there is a neglected need and wish to champion through a variety of methods. Bioactivists often care about public health topics such as health disparities, bioethics, and genetic research, which all are important topics that have been used by political parties to gain power.
Bioactivists come from a multitude of disciplines including medicine, sociology, law and history. Bioactivism in itself isn't a new concept, but the term has yet to reach a research paper. For example, historian Alondra Nelson has revitalized her work on the Black Panther Party and their public health initiatives. Many doctors aggressively advocate for patient rights both on and off the clock. While politicians frequent the subject of Universal Health Coverage, many scientists claim that UHC is a potential foundation of equality.
What is Bioactivism?
What are activities of Bioactivism?
Bioactivism can include Health Advocacy, which includes being a voice for someone to ensure they receive adequate medical care. Whether it be maintaining health electronic records for those without adequate technological resources, or ensuring all of a patient's requests are heard by a physician, health advocacy plays a vital role in ensuring health equity.
Public health intervention is necessary for changing unhealthy behaviors. The World Health Organization says that a health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to assess, improve, maintain, promote or modify health, functioning or health conditions. This frequently includes community outreach. A major limitation of community intervention includes the fact that while problematic individual behaviors are addressed, the conditions and factors that encourage such behaviors are not altered.
Just like other areas of activism, communication is one of the key parts of bioactivism. Science communication allows for the activist to get the word out, whether it be through media, live events, or even art forms. Since technical papers are frequently ignored or misinterpreted in the common setting, it is vital for digestible content to exist to inform people. For example, Corona Chat is a pandemic podcast dedicated to bringing up some of the sociocultural effects of the pandemic that may be overlooked but are relevant to the general public.
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GirlTrek is a national health movement designed to get Black women walking for their liberation. Join a walking group in your city!
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specializes in mental wellness resources for Black women. Check out the podcast and directory!!
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Just Data Lab created a Pandemic Portal with multidisciplinary resources on the racial dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic. PI Ruha Benjamin frequently updates her social media for public speaking engagements!
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MIT Media Lab developed with Artificial Intelligence curriculum for middle schoolers. A further resource includes an a teaching module on classification bias in AI.
