Health-ing in Motion: Reclaiming Well-being & Decolonizing Care

Welcome to The Health-ing Podcast, where hosts Ushma and Thomas speak with Dr. Juan — a global health advocate, medical doctor, and passionate champion for equity in health systems. Drawing from his experiences as both a migrant and a queer person, Dr. Juan describes health not as a fixed state but as an active, ongoing process of “health-ing”: a daily, evolving pursuit of well-being that shifts with life’s circumstances.

In the conversation, Dr. Juan reflects on his own journey — from leaving a rigid medical environment to overcoming stress-induced alopecia by tuning into his body’s needs — illustrating how health is deeply relational and context-dependent. He critiques the colonial and paternalistic roots of traditional Western medicine and instead calls for person-centered public health approaches that respond to people’s realities rather than imposing external standards.

Dr. Juan also highlights his work in queer public health, where he focuses on generating knowledge from lived experiences and recognising community strengths to promote “positive health,” not just the absence of illness. This episode offers a compelling invitation to soften our ego boundaries, embrace authenticity, and actively help reshape health systems and society with human dignity at the center.