Global health is often taught as something that happens elsewhere, yet many of its challenges—health inequity, system gaps, social determinants—exist right where we teach. This study explored how faculty in low-resource Indian medical schools make sense of teaching global health concepts in local settings and how they connect global frameworks to everyday realities in their classrooms and communities.

This qualitative study involved ten faculty members teaching community medicine, public health, and related disciplines in government and private medical colleges in India. Participants submitted guided reflections on their experiences of teaching global health themes such as equity, sustainability, and social accountability in constrained environments. Thematic analysis of these narratives identified four themes:

Global health is here – faculty reframed global health as everyday engagement with underserved populations.
Balancing ideals with realities – tension between teaching aspirational frameworks and systemic limitations.
Hidden curriculum of hope – faculty modeled advocacy and resilience quietly.
Feeling left out of the global conversation – participants felt overlooked in global discourse.

This study highlights how educators ground global concepts in local realities while navigating marginalization. Their voices are critical to a truly inclusive and relevant global health education.