Crowdfunding for Chronic Diseases in the Global South: A Novel Development or Insidious Reproduction?

ABSTRACT Inspired by Lukk and colleagues' analysis of crowdfunding as a re‐entrenchment of inequalities in the North American context, this response applies the same questions to the Global South, focussing on medical crowdfunding for non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) in Fiji. Grappling with an under‐resourced health system, Fijians with medical complications from NCDs are resorting to crowdfunding platforms to help raise funds for lifesaving treatments. Far from being a novel development, we explore how the need for Fijians to crowdfund for survival emerges from neo‐colonial inequalities. We argue that crowdfunding represents another layer of problematic aid, undermining the autonomy of Fijians, the accountability of governments and the ability of the Fijian healthcare system to care for its citizens. Significant cultural considerations emerge as crowdfunding platforms travel from Global North to South contexts, including the mismatch between neoliberal individualised campaigns versus communitarian values, the risk of eroding traditional cultural giving practices, and the privileging of the Western gaze. Finally, we reflect on the differential flows of vitality and toxicity, and how crowdfunding exacerbates inequality by distracting us from genuine upstream solutions.