Culture, Global Health, and You

The phrase “do it for the culture” is commonly seen throughout the internet and incites teens and young adults to do thing that display their best selves. Culture is so complexly woven into every aspect of our lives, and thus is obviously intertwined with our global public health.

Religion and ethnicity impact the way we can address outbreaks in rural communities. During the bubonic plague outbreak in Madagascar last year, epidemiologists encountered a problem. In traditional Malagasy culture, they dance with the corpses of loved ones as a sort of last goodbye. With bubonic plague, dead hosts still carry active versions of the virus and can infect others, so this practice greatly increased the severity of the outbreak in these communities. This week I learned of a similar problem in China. There was a smallpox outbreak in a village, and the people refused treatment. Instead of trying to educate the people effected, virologists put the vaccine in the water and gave it to them in a temple, while also having a priest pray over them, so the people at risk were convinced that they were cured by the priest. It is incredibly difficult to overcome these educational and cultural differences. How do you tell someone that their sacred religious practice is causing their loved ones to become sick and die? It is vital to increase the cultural sensitivity and awareness of those entering places in need of healthcare assistance.

Another significant part of culture is the importance placed on formal education. There is a negative correlation between female education and the rate of females that die due to childbirth complications. If a culture does not belie in the importance of educating their women, the whole community decreases in overall health, in everything from a decreased support system for newborns to a lost history. While it is incredibly important for us to understand all cultures, we must also be ready to share the positive traits of each culture to create one that truly benefits everyone.