Culture, Behavior, and Global Health

Culture, Behavior, and Global Health

Global Health in the 21st Century

The emergence of infectious disease-causing agents is increasingly becoming a global threat. Such viruses as Ebola and, more recently, coronavirus have been attributed to many fatalities globally. This increase in infectious disease-causing agents has been associated with several cultural and behavioral aspects of the populations from which these viruses were first isolated. This paper seeks to analyze culture, behavior, and environment’s contribution to Ebola virus emergence in the African people.

The Ebola virus was first discovered in Zaire in 1976. The virus has since spread to neighboring countries, with isolates found in continents other than Africa (Jacob et al., 2020). However, the disease’s burden remains in the sub-Saharan and West African countries, with Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Congo-Zaire bearing the most significant hurdle. Africa consists mainly of a low to medium socioeconomic population, with agriculture being the backbone of most of the country’s economies. Poverty levels remain high in this population, with several public health concerns being apparent. These public health issues are accustomed to poor access to clean water and sanitation. This population’s healthcare access remains a challenge, with the majority heavily dependent on traditional medicine. Cultural stratifications exist in the more prominent African people, with some cultures being absorbed into the larger ones and others diffusing due to colonization. African population has seen several disease outbreaks, with the HIV and Ebola virus epidemics being the most current ones.

Ebola virus transmission involves contact with infected body secretions, blood, tissues, organs, and other body fluids. It can also be transmitted via contact with fluids from the dead. Inanimate objects also possess transmission potential when contaminated with infected body fluids (Vetter et al., 2016). Inanimate objects such as bedding have been implicated in the spread of the Ebola virus.

The Ebola virus has been implicated in both humans and non-human primates. Extrapolating certain African cultural practices suggests that these animals may have transmitted this disease (Christian et al., 2017). Cultural practices such as the consumption of bushmeat and encroachment into the forest by members of this population have been linked to the development of this disease in humans. Bushmeat defines meat that is obtained from wild animals. It is a potential transmission source, especially when the involved animals are primates (Caleo et al., 2018). Wildlife encroachment also enables the contact of these primates with humans, thus increasing the potential for transmission.

Cultural stratification evident in the African population has provided variations in language and diet among other African cultural practices. African diet mainly consists of vegetables and meat. These vegetables are obtainable from farming activities as well as from the wild. Likewise, the meat consumed by the African population is available from the wild and farming activities. The perception of healthcare is varied across cultures, with the majority reliant on traditional medicine and herbs. Their proximity to forests and the abundance of herbalists and traditional healers make utilization of herbs and traditional medicine particularly common among most African cultures (Francesconi et al., 2021). The negative perception of allopathic medicine has also been implicated in the increasing reliance on traditional medicine. However, the beneficial effects of this treatment modality are evident in good health among most of its users.

Various environmental and social factors have been implicated in the transmission of diseases among the African population. Factors such as water access, poor sanitation, food, and air quality are associated with various conditions. Water and food are the most common environmental problems related to disease transmission among the African population. Food shortages have forced people to feed on dead or ill virus-infected animals and wild animals that may be harboring the virus. Social factors have also been implicated. Social constructs among the African cultures and some cultural practices make it easy to spread these diseases. African families tend to live together in extended family setups. This population clustering increases disease spread (Francesconi et al., 2021). Some cultural practices, such as handshaking, also enable the spread of these diseases.

The burden of the Ebola virus was most significant amongst the African population. Various African countries were affected significantly by this virus. This virus is transmitted via contact with body fluids. Different cultural practices have been associated with this disease. Such methods include the consumption of bushmeat and the encroachment of forests. Other contributory factors are environmental and social factors.

References

Caleo, G., Duncombe, J., Jephcott, F., Lokuge, K., Mills, C., & Looijen, E. et al. (2018). The factors affecting household transmission dynamics and community compliance with Ebola control measures: a mixed-methods study in a rural village in Sierra Leone. BMC Public Health, 18(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5158-6

Christian, K., Iuliano, A., Uyeki, T., Mintz, E., Nichol, S., & Rollin, P. et al. (2017). What We Are Watching—Top Global Infectious Disease Threats, 2013-2016: An Update from CDC’s Global Disease Detection Operations Center. Health Security, 15(5), 453-462. DOI: 10.1089/hs.2017.0004

Francesconi, P., Yoti, Z., Declich, S., Onek, P., Fabiani, M., & Olango, J. et al. (2021). Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Transmission and Risk Factors of Contacts, Uganda1. Retrieved 10 April 2021, from

Jacob, S., Crozier, I., Fischer, W., Hewlett, A., Kraft, C., & Vega, M. et al. (2020). Ebola virus disease. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 6(1). DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-0147-3

Vetter, P., Fischer, W., Schibler, M., Jacobs, M., Bausch, D., & Kaiser, L. (2016). Ebola Virus Shedding and Transmission: Review of Current Evidence. Journal Of Infectious Diseases, 214(suppl 3), S177-S184. DOI: 10.1093/indices/jiw254

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Global Health in the 21st Century

Culture, Behavior, and Global Health

This assignment is designed to familiarize you with some of your selected population’s global health problems and diseases. You will discuss the extent to which the behaviors, culture, or environment of the people affected by the infectious disease you identified in your Module 1 Case Assignment contribute to the disease.

It would be best if you used various resources for this assignment. At least two sources must come from peer-reviewed journals.

Building on your research from Module 1 Case Assignment, discuss the following:

An overview of the selected population.
A description of the disease (transmission, prevalence, etc.).
A description of potentially relevant cultural factors related to the health issue or disease.
Cultural factors include language, diet, expectations regarding health care, and the role of traditional healing.
Environmental and social factors such as climate, economy, and politics.
Length: 2 double-spaced pages (excluding the cover page and reference list).