Data worlds: The Gates Foundation and the making of global health

This paper advances the concept of data worlds as a critical lens for understanding both the making of the field of global health, and the ethos of philanthrocapitalism. Constituted through particular forms of expertise, infrastructure and techniques, data worlds are not mere repositories of information. Rather, they actively constitute and circumscribe the field of global health by privileging specific problems and interventions. Frequently constructed through the work of philanthropic foundations, these data worlds shape how global health challenges are rendered visible and actionable. Attending to their selective exclusions and inclusions allows us to see like a philanthrocapitalist. Drawing on an analysis of the Gates Foundation’s global health work in India, the paper demonstrates how data worlds can serve as an archive for understanding how particular forms of knowledge and governance get authorized in global health.