Paradoxes of Care: Children and Global Medical Aid in Egypt

Global humanitarian health initiatives spend billions of dollars to care for suffering bodies, but they can inadvertently prolong the conditions that hurt children and undermine local aid givers. Rania Kassab Sweis' book Paradoxes of Care investigates how some of the world's largest aid organizations care for vulnerable children in Egypt, revealing how global medical aid fails to save them and often maintains or produces new social disparities in children's lives.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 29 June 2021
Publisher: Stanford University Press

Each year, an astounding amount of funds is allocated to global humanitarian health initiatives, with the primary objective of providing care to those in need, particularly children living in poverty. However, the widespread implementation of global medical aid often fails to address the underlying economic and political systems that contribute to bodily suffering, inadvertently prolonging the very conditions that harm children and undermine the efforts of local aid givers. In her book, Paradoxes of Care, Rania Kassab Sweis delves into the complexities of medical humanitarian encounters in Egypt, shedding light on how child aid recipients and local aid experts navigate the shortcomings of global aid and its paradoxical outcomes.

Through an in-depth ethnographic study, Sweis examines the care provided by some of the world's largest aid organizations for vulnerable children in Egypt. Her research focuses on medical efforts specifically targeted at street children and out-of-school village girls. What emerges from her study is a poignant portrayal of how global medical aid falls short of its stated goals, often perpetuating or even creating new social disparities in children's lives. Sweis takes a unique approach by foregrounding the responses of vulnerable children to medical aid, challenging the notion of unquestioned benevolence associated with global health initiatives. She demonstrates how children must navigate their own bodies and lives in the absence of adult care, highlighting the critical need for empowerment and self-determination.

Paradoxes of Care is a thought-provoking book that prompts readers to engage with the profound implications of global humanitarian transactions. Sweis challenges both medical caregivers and donors to critically examine their roles and responsibilities in these endeavors. She raises important questions about the unintended consequences of aid, the power dynamics at play, and the ethical considerations involved in providing care to vulnerable populations. By exploring the complexities of medical humanitarian encounters in Egypt, Sweis offers a valuable contribution to the ongoing discourse on global health and development. Her book serves as a call to action, urging individuals and organizations to prioritize the well-being and empowerment of children, particularly in the context of humanitarian aid.

Weight: 462g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503628502