Communicable Diseases: Other matters arising
(Note: This reading reflection paper was written in the second half of 2020 as part of an Introduction to Global Health course)
This week’s readings show how social perceptions and narratives and shape the individual body’s experience of disease. An individuals body’s experience of disease (individual body) is influenced by the culture (social body) and political systems and structures (body politik). The social and body politics influence the discourse around disease and are important sources of information when trying to understand the prevalence and spread of communicable diseases. This and many other reasons is why medical anthropologist among other things try to study the cultures of various groups to understand their actions, address cultural factors implicated in the spread of disease and identify viable entry points for meaningful interventions.
“Othering” is one of the ways the social body and body politik manifest in the context of the prevalence and spread of communicable disease. The perception that a certain group or countries are the source of disease, unsanitary subjects (Briggs & Mantini-Briggs, 2003), causes resistance to disease prevention measures by those victimized by these views (Nations & Monte, 1996). Those who perceive themselves as immune may also be lax in adhering to disease prevention protocols. The interactions of these factors and lack of uniformity does not help in stemming the spread of disease.
Othering, also influences, the direction of funding with investments in fighting diseases prioritized when they threaten wealthy populations. The example of the 72 old Hispanic woman who had contacted the virus during the celebration of her 8 years old granddaughters birthday despite COVID restrictions and is now recovering from the coronavirus statement resonates the importance of non-othering, “It can’t happen to me. What I have learnt is the value of life. It’s the value of family. None of us is invisible.” (NY times, 2020) Across age, income, race, countries, “none of us is invisible.” The coronavirus outbreak also communicates this message. We can only hope the message stays with us after the virus is contained.
The way the media communicates about a disease could also contribute towards “othering.” Hence, it is important to track media communications and call out those communicating messages that stereotype any group of people as constituting a public risk. Overall, there is a need to respect people and their cultures and use appropriate non-othering language.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have also become very useful in mapping the prevalence and spread of communicable diseases through time. There are many interactive platforms that show the prevalence and spread of disease clearly. The ArcGIS dashboard of the coronavirus outbreak shows the north west areas of South America and the Pacific Islands with considerable case fatality rates but testing data is only available for the US. It is important to understand what is happening here. Is this because there are no routine testing or this data is not being compiled. This might be a situation where the global community can help these areas monitor their testing rates or help them prioritize testing if that is the problem so they people that are COVID positive can be easily identified for treatment.
It is interesting to see it being emphasized that during the 2014 Ebola crisis in Njala, the most Ebola-affected village in Sierra Leone, only the WHO sat with villagers and listened to them for hours. While calling this out shows the importance of doing this. This should be part of what the WHO should be doing this or enabling other actors to do this so as to generate a common pool of knowledge. An epidemic time is not the time to show off for any purpose or show other actors as not doing enough. It is a time to understand and maximize all factors and work together to stem the spread of the disease.
Questions
· “Othering” normalizes illness among the marginalized and makes groups that are victimized resist treatment. It also causes them to be very sensitive and view actions and communications as judging them. In what other ways is “othering” problematic in the context of communicable diseases?
· Apart from understanding communities, mentioning the disadvantages of “othering,” using GIS tools to map the spread of diseases quantitatively and objectively, and ridding the media of “othering” and stigmatizing language, what other ways can “othering” be addressed and discouraged?