13.4 Global health and medical anthropology

Global health and medical anthropology examine how globalization impacts health worldwide. They explore inequalities in healthcare access, the spread of diseases, and the interplay between traditional and modern medical practices across cultures.

These fields shed light on how global economic systems and power structures affect health outcomes. They also investigate how pandemics, mental health issues, and pharmaceutical industries are shaped by and contribute to globalization processes.

Global Health Disparities

Structural Inequalities in Global Health

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• Global health inequalities arise from unequal distribution of resources, power, and wealth between and within countries
• Structural violence in health refers to the systemic ways social, economic, and political structures harm health of marginalized populations
• Lack of access to healthcare, clean water, and adequate nutrition contributes to health disparities (lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality rates)
• Globalization exacerbates health inequalities through uneven development, exploitation of labor and resources, and erosion of social safety nets

Biopolitics and Reproductive Health

• Biopolitics involves the governance and regulation of populations through health policies and interventions
• Reproductive health is a key arena of biopolitics, as states seek to control fertility, reproduction, and population growth
• Globalization impacts reproductive health through spread of biomedicalization, commodification of reproductive technologies (surrogacy, IVF), and influence of global health agendas
• Reproductive health disparities persist, with limited access to contraception, safe abortion, and maternal healthcare in many low- and middle-income countries

Globalization and Disease

Pandemics in a Globalized World

• Globalization facilitates the rapid spread of infectious diseases across borders through increased travel, trade, and migration
• Pandemics like COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, and influenza highlight the global interconnectedness of health and the need for coordinated responses
• Social and economic inequalities shape the uneven impact of pandemics, with marginalized populations often more vulnerable to infection and less able to access care
• Global health governance, including the World Health Organization and international agreements, plays a crucial role in pandemic preparedness and response

Mental Health and Pharmaceuticals

• Global mental health addresses the burden of mental disorders worldwide and the disparities in access to mental healthcare
• Globalization influences the spread of Western psychiatric categories and treatments, while also shaping local understandings and experiences of mental distress
• Pharmaceutical anthropology examines the global production, distribution, and consumption of medicines, including issues of access, regulation, and medicalization
• The global pharmaceutical industry is a major driver of health inequalities, with profit-driven research and pricing limiting access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries

Medical Systems and Practices

Pluralism and Traditional Medicine

• Medical pluralism refers to the coexistence of multiple medical systems within a society, including biomedicine, traditional medicine, and alternative therapies
• Traditional medicine, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and African traditional healing, remains widely used in many countries alongside biomedicine
• Globalization has led to the commodification and appropriation of traditional medical knowledge, as well as the integration of certain practices into global health interventions (acupuncture, herbal medicines)
• Health tourism involves travel across borders to access medical care, often driven by cost, quality, or availability of treatments (dental work, cosmetic surgery, experimental therapies)