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Malaria is a major concern in several parts of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, with approximately 40 per cent of the world`s population at risk of contracting it. The disease has frequently made a comeback in regions where it had almost been eliminated. This is a path-breaking book in medical anthropology, a field of study which is in its infancy in India. It examines traditional knowledge systems in conjunction with biomedical elements to promote effective health education. An empirical study of malaria in the social context, it explores folk beliefs, attitudes and perceptions affecting various aspects of incidence and treatment of malaria in south Gujarat, in a culturally and socio-economically stratified population in three ecologically differing rural zones — coastal, irrigated plains, and dry highland — and one urban site. Based on intensive fieldwork and extensive surveys, the book brings out the importance of medical pluralism, including the role of indigenous ideas and practices, and analyses the role of private and government appointed doctors at the village level while examining the impact of allopathic medicine.
ISBN - 9780415597524
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Pages : 228
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