Medical Anthropology in Nigeria

在这项研究中，Etkin博士将在一个 尼日利亚豪萨人的乡村。作为医学人类学家， 埃特金博士感兴趣的是文化与 疾病，她将确定这些在过去的变化， 十年在这十年里，发生了几件事。的 设立了一个地方政府诊所， 西方的医疗护理。其次，在这段时间里 豪萨社区越来越多地融入到 国民经济最后，地方农业发展项目 不仅影响了人们的饮食， 当地野生植物资源。传统上 豪萨人将这些资源纳入他们的饮食，并认为 它们具有药用特性，包括能够防止 疟疾是这个地区的地方病。 在为期一年的实地考察中，埃特金博士将采访 重点关注土著居民使用的连续性和变化， 药她将进行实地调查， 植物资源还将进行一项饮食调查， 与广泛的食品问题调查表相结合， 可用性、选择和准备。诊所记录将 检查和疟疾筛查， 诊所人员。埃特金博士还将收集植物进行测试 在第二个实验室阶段， 本项目 这项研究很重要，因为它研究了人类健康如何 受这些复杂的相互关系的影响， 生物和文化变量作为传染性 疾病、土著和西方医药、饮食和农业。 美国向第三世界国家提供援助， 改善身体健康，这项研究将有助于其 有效利用。

In this research Dr. Etkin will conduct a follow up study in a rural Hausa village in Nigeria. As a medical anthropologist, Dr. Etkin is interested in the relationship between culture and disease and she will determine how these have changed in the last ten years. Over this decade, several things have happened. The establishment of a local government clinic has facilitated access to Western medical care. Secondly, over this same span of time the Hausa community has become increasingly integrated into the national economy. Finally local agricultural development projects have not only affected diet but also the environment and the availability of local wild plant resources. Traditionally the Hausa incorporated these resources into their diet and believed they had medicinal properties, including the ability to prevent malaria, which is endemic to this region. During a year of planned fieldwork, Dr. Etkin will interview residents and focus on continuity and change in use of indigenous medicines. She will conduct field surveys to document available plant resources. A dietary survey will also be administered in conjunction with a broad-based questionnaire on food availability, selection and preparation. Clinic records will be examined and malaria screening conducted in conjunction with clinic personnel. Dr. Etkin will also collect plants to be tested for potential anti-malarial activity in a second laboratory phase of the project. This research is important because it examines how human health is influenced by the complex interrelationships among such biological and cultural variables as infectious disease, indigenous and Western medicines, diet and agriculture. The United States provides aid to third world countries to improve physical health and this research will contribute to its effective use.