Austerity Myths and the Health of Nations: What Malawi Tells Us About the Construction of Scarcity

On this episode Mark talks with Luke Messac, physician, historian, and author of ‘No More to Spend: Neglect and the Construction of Scarcity in Malawi's History of Health Care.’ They discuss how Malawi’s politics over the last century has - like in many countries - been defined by a rhetoric of scarcity and austerity. As Luke shows though, this scarcity is more often the product of political decisions rather than structural pressures, with devastating consequences for the country’s healthcare system. If you’re interested in how geopolitics and economics affect the health of nations, this is the book (and podcast) for you. You can learn more about and purchase Luke’s book here: [https://global.oup.com/academic/product/no-more-to-spend-9780190066192?cc=us&lang=en&] You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D6NZmgDYfssx7eyhKKB5pxX8nfNC5cNT/view?usp=sharing]