ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a different route and explores how certain questions become neglected in global health. It discusses novel interpretation of the meaning of neglect based on two core ideas: first, that neglect encompasses not only specific diseases but also determinants and groups; second, that neglect is not simply about lack of visibility, since quality of attention matters when determining if and how an issue is being neglected. The chapter utilizes this reconceptualisation of neglect to enquire into the mechanisms of its reproduction, before illustrating with the examples of water and sanitation, and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. There was a process of abjection in place, as certain groups and practices were represented as alien, exotic, and disgusting – and directly linked to the spread of Ebola. Emotions impact upon actors’ perceptions of others’ motives, thus shaping the content of relations.
