The Inequalities of Health

Medical Anthropology ANTH 2301 The Inequalities of Health One of the main uses of critical medical anthropologists' work is trying to alleviate health care inequities. Regarding COVID-19, the worldwide epidemic that has ravaged every region of the earth, disparities are evident. Numerous American organisations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Institutes of Health, have concluded that Black and Latinx communities have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the virus in terms of overall mortality rates and health outcomes compared to their share of the population. A number of states have highlighted the necessity of putting economic "health" ahead of human safety, thereby indicating a readiness to sacrifice employees in order to maintain those states' economic prospects. It can be argued that later on, this class violence persisted because of the stark contrast between those who were forced to work on-site and those who could work remotely. In the meantime, those working on the front lines faced what amounted to class violence because they could not afford to stay safely at home and faced social isolation. There is a risk to "essential workers'" health. Apart from medical specialists, most "essential workers" are classified as belonging to a certain class and are mostly employed in manufacturing, service industries, or delivery services. These developments are influenced by both lack of access to health care professionals and economic inequality. The World Health Organisation has also drawn attention to the ways that the needs of wealthier nations like Australia and the United States have limited the availability of various COVID-19 treatment and preventive options for less developed nations. Access to nutrient-dense food is another area where medical anthropologists have discovered health-related disparities in the US. It is commonly known that having limited access to food, especially a variety of highly nutritious meals, can have a detrimental effect on one's health. Living in places without access to healthy food, or "food deserts," increases the risk of serious diseases and basic malnutrition in a number of important domains. The fact that these same locations frequently lack access to health care services exacerbates the effects of food deserts. A intergenerational study of health disparities has been made possible by AIDS. When the AIDS pandemic first started in the 1980s, people referred to the poorly understood illness as a “gay man’s virus” because it appeared to exclusively attack males who identify as homosexual or bisexual. In 1983, medical anthropologists started researching the AIDS virus; one such researcher was Norman Spencer, who looked at patients in San Francisco. Research grew increasingly prevalent and well-funded as the virus spread to other communities, and in certain circumstances, it even received official funding. However, AIDS decimated people all across the world due to inadequate and delayed financing as well as the dissemination of false information that took decades to stop. In order to improve public faith in medical treatment procedures and build more successful treatment plans, medical anthropologist Brodie Ramin (2007) utilised anthropological knowledge and techniques to AIDS treatment in Africa. In many parts of the world, AIDS is still severely stigmatised and receiving subpar care. Paul Farmer and Jim Yong Kim, who are both physicians and anthropologists, have been working with their organisation, Partners in Health, for more than 20 years to improve access and health outcomes in underdeveloped and isolated regions of the world. In nations like Haiti, their work has played a crucial role in the treatment of AIDS and other illnesses. Jim Yong Kim also contributed to greater results by using his position inside the World Bank Group. Though it still faces many obstacles, medical anthropology has the ability to influence policy at the highest levels of international health organisations. Medical anthropologists are fully aware of how serious the global health disparities, systemic racism, and structural violence are. The COVID-19 epidemic affected people's personal, professional, and educational life and altered many facets of various civilizations. "The pandemic continues to precipitate simultaneous dread over what is to come and loss over what appears to be gone forever, including loved ones, ways of life, and conceptual and literal safety nets," say medical anthropologists Vincanne Adams and Alex Nading in their analysis of the social impact of COVID-19 (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the close relationship that exists between culture and health. Elisa J. Sobo's 2016 study on the anti-vaccine movement is still important today since some individuals are afraid of or distrust the COVID vaccination in addition to the health precautions that governments and nonprofit organisations are recommending to limit or stop the virus's spread. During the COVID-19 epidemic, Adams and Nading expand on Sobo's study by examining the crucial impact that culture and belief had in the creation of local, state, federal, and worldwide policies. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the close relationship that exists between culture and health. Health practitioners and anyone involved in public health can benefit much from medical anthropology. One proactive way to start tackling medical racism and the health disparities that medical anthropologists have discovered is to include medical anthropology and cultural competency in health care professional education. Additionally, it helps medical providers understand how social health and physical and mental health concerns relate to one another. Medical anthropologists' research on infectious diseases, nutrition, and reproduction has a big impact on public health and policy. Lastly, a deeper appreciation for the variety of approaches to illness management and wellness may be gained by learning about the richness of cultural traditions and ethnomedical systems. As the COVID-19 epidemic has shown, health and access to healthcare are intricate social issues that affect billions of people worldwide.