Representation, activism, health promotion, and communication: The role of art in advancing global health and social justice

Authors: Mark Donald C. Reñosa, Kelly E. Perry, Siddharth Srivastava, Angeli Rawat, Zaida Orth, Phuong Bich Tran, Diane Woei-Quan Chong, Joseph Kazibwe, Maira Shaukat, Germán Andrés Alarcón Garavito, Mazen Boroudi, Vivek Dsouza, Shahreen Chowdhury, Bachera Aktar, Daniela Da Costa, Daniela Ochaita, Kerry Scott

Published : July 23, 2025 in PLOS Global Public Health

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This viewpoint explores how art—across visual, performance, and literary forms—can transform global health by amplifying marginalised voices, advancing social justice, strengthening communities, and enhancing communication. Through case studies and reflections, the authors call for a decolonial, culturally grounded integration of art into global health discourse and practice. Art emerges here not as a luxury, but as a necessity for equity, empathy, and sustainable change.