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Loubna Belaid1, Patrick Cloos2, Valéry Ridde3
1Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Centre de recherche du centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), École de santé publique, Université de Montréal, 7101 Av du Parc, 3e étage, Montréal, Québec, H3N 1X9, Canada. belaid.loubna@gmail.com.
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique
|December 11, 2019
Summary
Health professionals often cite cultural barriers, like ethnic practices, to explain maternal health policy failures. However, these explanations can stereotype groups and obscure crucial structural issues affecting care access.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Medical Anthropology
- Sociology of Health
Context:
- Maternal health policy implementation in Djibo district, Burkina Faso.
- Qualitative socio-anthropological research involving health professionals and district managers.
Purpose:
- To analyze how ethnocultural arguments are used to explain maternal health policy shortcomings.
- To discuss the impact of these representations on healthcare access.
Summary:
- Health professionals and managers attribute policy failures to "cultural barriers" such as ethnic practices, women's social status, and nomadism.
- These ethnocultural representations contribute to stereotyping and blaming specific social groups.
- Structural factors influencing maternal health service utilization are often overlooked.
Impact:
- Highlights the risks of over-reliance on culturalistic explanations in public health.
- Emphasizes the need to consider systemic factors like health system contact, household expenses, and geographical distances.
- Promotes a more nuanced understanding of disparities in health service access and policy outcomes.