GRAPHIC MEDICINE

Graphic Medicine is the intersection of comics and health. The name is most closely associated with the work of Dr. Ian Williams in the UK but has now become a globally recognised field. It is closely associated with the medical and health humanities which considers cultural and social determinants of health and explores creative responses. Graphic medicine can take the form of personal illness narratives (sometimes referred to as pathographies) or biographies and histories of famous clinicians, researchers and medical breakthroughs. Graphic Medicine also works to promote public health literacy and is tailored to needs and concerns of different communities. For example, in Aotearoa New Zealand, the experience of colonialism and its on-going effects has produced different health outcomes for Māori and Pacific peoples, while issues class, gender, sexuality and geography among others also contribute to uneven and unequal outcomes. In addition, graphic medicine is increasingly connected to movements such as “One Health” that acknowledges health implications in the interconnection and interdependency of humans, animals and other life within our environment.