Applying medical anthropology in the control of infectious disease

This paper focuses on two roles of anthropology in the control of infectiou s disease. The first is in identifying and describing concerns and understa ndings of disease, including local knowledge of cause and treatment relevan t to disease control. The second is in translating these local concerns int o appropriate health interventions, for example, by providing information t o be incorporated in education and communication strategies for disease con trol. Problems arise in control programmes with competing knowledge and val ue systems. Anthropology's role conventionally has been in the translation of local concepts of illness and treatment, and the adaptation of biomedica l knowledge to fit local aetiologies. Medical anthropology plays an importa nt role in examining the local context of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and the structural as well as conceptual barriers to improved h ealth status. National (and international) public health goals which respec t local priorities are uncommon, and generic health goals rarely coincide w ith specific country and community needs. The success of interventions and control programmes is moderated by local priorities and conditions, and sus tainable interventions need to acknowledge and address country-specific soc ial, economic and political circumstances.