The Alliance Lift is the series that spotlights the journeys of Alliance alumni shaping health systems around the globe. In this Q&A, we meet Dr Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo, a Peruvian medical doctor, health scientist and Indigenous scholar from a Quechua community in Ancash.
Her work focuses on transforming health systems through intercultural approaches rooted in Indigenous knowledge, climate resilience and equity. Carol's unique journey combines academic training with deep personal reflection and cultural reconnection. Currently affiliated with Cayetano Heredia University in Peru, she also co-chairs the Indigenous People's Observatory Network and has contributed to major global scientific initiatives.
In this interview, also available as video and podcast, Carol reflects on her path from clinical medicine to health systems research and on how Indigenous worldviews can reshape our understanding of health and the environment.
Learning from the past
Q: If you had to describe your early career in three words, what would they be?
Inspiring, challenge and risk. Working as a clinician in the Amazon, I learned so much from both the health workers and the patients. The way they handled obstacles, especially cultural barriers and limited access to good care, inspired me. The challenge was understanding different cultures and even confronting my own education. I found myself asking, “How did I not know this before?” The risk came with my early research on HIV and hepatitis B in Indigenous communities. People in the health sector didn’t want me to talk about those topics. I felt like I was putting my career at risk not because of the fieldwork itself, but because of what I was saying about the system.
Q: What led you to shift from clinical medicine to broader health systems research?
I wanted to do more. I saw how Indigenous people weren’t being reached by the system, and even when I suggested collecting disaggregated data by ethnicity, I was met with resistance. Take cancer, for example. Someone at the ministry of health questioned why we would need disaggregated data because cancer is everywhere and maybe these Indigenous communities didn’t have cancer. That was a turning point. I realized the system needed to change fundamentally. I had mentors who encouraged me to look at health through other disciplines, and that led me to work with researchers focused on environmental determinants of health.
Q: Was there a key moment when your personal and professional journeys came together?
Yes. It happened in Canada, while writing my thesis, I felt the urge to give thanks to the land where I was doing my fieldwork. I realized that my family – my grandparents – were Indigenous, and I was too. That moment of reconnection helped me integrate both sides of my identity, which I had previously kept separate.
Living in the present
Q: You’ve been working with the Alliance on a project about Indigenous responses to climate shocks in the Amazon. Can you tell us about that experience?
It felt like returning to the field – not just physically but also re-engaging with the health system. I had been working more on environmental and social issues, but this project brought me back into contact with health officers at different levels. It was a rich experience that showed me the potential for strengthening systems by connecting the global, national and local levels.
Q: How has your academic and professional journey has influenced the way you teach and conduct research?
In academia, there’s a need to embrace “cultural humility,” which isn’t just about where you come from but also about disciplinary culture. We face new challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss that demand new approaches. Education systems must evolve to prepare the next generation to face these interconnected issues.
Q: How do you ensure that insights from research influence real-world policies, especially where Indigenous knowledge is often marginalized?
We need persistence, openness and a recognition that not everyone is on the same page. Things are changing fast, so we have to be able to talk across sectors and disciplines. Cultural humility, calm, and patience are essential to navigating the next decade of health system transformation.
Q: You’ve mentored young Indigenous researchers. What has that experience been like?
It’s been surprising and meaningful. Often, I just ask, "What do you think?" and their ideas are incredible. They don’t necessarily need technology or tools – they just need space and encouragement. Their creativity and enthusiasm give me hope, and I’m learning how to be a mentor who embraces diversity and new ideas. Indigenous knowledge is diverse and has the power to support everything from biodiversity conservation to business innovation.
Levelling up for the future
Q: What does an inclusive and climate-resilient health system look like to you?
It’s a system that recognizes the importance of nature. With the planetary crisis we’re facing, health systems and practitioners can no longer ignore these realities. There’s growing awareness at the global level, but we need to close the gap at the local level. Many important interventions don’t come from traditional health practitioners, and we must learn to support both people and the planet.
Q: What Indigenous-led ideas give you hope for the future of health systems?
Things like food sharing. We’ve forgotten basic values like seasonal eating and sharing food that you’ve produced yourself. When I was a child, that was part of my family, but I learned that again in the Amazon. Also, the way Indigenous communities care for animals – it’s very different from the global industrialized approach. These are the kinds of values that can reshape health systems and policy research.
Q: What advice would you give to young scholars or health workers?
Believe in yourself. With today’s access to information and technology, you have the power to create change – locally and beyond. We may not have time to wait for perfect credentials. You can begin making a difference now.
Q: Any final reflections?
Yes. My message is for other sectors. The health sector often bears the consequences of structural problems – malnutrition, infectious diseases and more. But we need all sectors to think about health and the health of the planet. This is a collective responsibility.
