how culture influences a disease

Culture and Disease

How does culture influence a disease such as Tuberculosis (TB) in particular community?

TB is among the most common cause of infection and death for those living with HIV. While it’s common for most communities to stigmatize HIV patients through lack of proper medical

care it follows that when Tb opportunistically affects the patient they have low chances of accessing proper medical care.

Healthcare providers, policymakers and affected communities have a key role to play in raising awareness and education about TB and its early detection and treatment. Some cultures don’t promote education and as a result such medical awareness is jeopardized.

Factors like disrupted social networks, social exclusion, reduced accessibility to health care, lack of free participation in society and lack of trust, understanding or respect for the system. Women, unemployed and homeless people experience longer delays in seeking care resulting in increased suffering and expenses and higher risk of community transmission. Communities with cultures that place low importance on women and children put such groups under high risk of suffering from TB infection.

communities  that have special health needs and experience obstacles for accessing health care such as language, stigmatization, poor cultural awareness are also at high risk of TB infections.

Fear of stigmatization if they seek a TB diagnosis and lack of social support to seek care when they fall sick.

Tuberculosis is more common in elderly persons, as a result a culture where the elderly are less taken care of easily fall vulnerable to TB or adverse effects if affected with the disease.

References

Buck, Alfred A. Health and disease in Chad; epidemiology, culture, and environment in five villages. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1970. Print book.

Feldman, Douglas A. Culture and AIDS. New York : Praeger, , 1990. Print book.

Lieberman, Daniel. Culture, health and disease: social and cultural influences on health programmes in developing countries. New York: Pantheon Books, 2013. Print book.