INTRODUCTION:
Humanitarian public health responses are often shaped by colonial legacies, unequal power relations, and extractive narratives. This results in top-down interventions that sideline local leadership, ethics, and contextual knowledge—especially in Global South crisis zones.

METHODS:
This session uses a roundtable format to engage youth, feminist leaders, and health professionals from conflict-affected and post-colonial regions. Through shared case studies and lived experiences, the session explores pathways to ethical, decolonized health practice grounded in dignity, justice, and international humanitarian law (IHL).

RESULTS:
Panelists will unpack how colonial logics persist in global health funding, research, and governance—particularly during emergencies. They will highlight locally led alternatives, from community-controlled data systems to youth-centered ethical review boards. Discussions will also explore the ethical tensions between neutrality and justice in humanitarian work.

CONCLUSIONS:
Decolonizing public health in emergencies requires more than critique—it demands system redesign. This includes ethical frameworks rooted in lived experience, reparative funding models, and governance structures led by affected communities. The session will end with actionable recommendations for practitioners, donors, and multilateral agencies.