Anthropologie Médicale

Medical anthropologists are involved in the control of several infectious and parasitic diseases throughout the world, but only recently have anthropologists (or any social scientists for that matter) conducted field studies on high mortality emerging diseases such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). HEWLETT and AMOLA (5) provided the first systematic medical anthropological field study of Ebola (Uganda 2000-2001), but the research occurred during the final months of the outbreak so the impact of the study in control efforts was limited. This initial anthropological study and support from emerging disease specialists at World Health Organization (WHO) led to policy changes in response procedures that included the early involvement of medical anthropologists. The policy changes, as well as the organized physical resistance to international efforts to control Ebola in Gabon and Congo in 2001-2002 (9), contributed, in part, to a WHO decision to invite medical anthropologists to participate in the initial international response team to the 2003 Republic of Congo (RC) Ebola outbreak. This paper describes the contributions of medical anthropologists and identifies two distinct but complementary medical anthropological approaches to control efforts. The first approach emphasizes understanding local people’s perceptions, feelings, and responses to the disease (i.e., their cultural models for EHF). This knowledge can then be incorporated into all aspects of control efforts (i.e., clinical care, collecting laboratory samples, health communication, burying the dead, etc.). The second approach emphasizes identifying specific features of clinical care and intervention efforts that are not culturally sensitive or appropriate. This approach is sometimes called “clinical medical anthropology” (9). Both approaches aim at providing more humanistic interventions. Ideally, more humanistic care and interventions lead to more rapid and efficient control of EHF.