Social representations of malaria in the Guna indigenous population of Comarca Guna de Madungandi, Panama

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to recognize the social representation of the Guna indigenous population by identifying cultural elements related to malaria, in order to create an intercultural approach to any health intervention to control and prevent the disease.MethodsThis qualitative study has an anthropological focus that used participant observation, informal conversations, focus groups, interviews, in-depth interviews with key actors. Analyses included review, classification and categorization of interviews.ResultsMalaria within the Guna culture is in harmony with several cultural factors, such as magic, religion, beliefs, myths, and nature. The health system must include these factors in its intercultural approach to ensure the sustainability of anti-malarial intervention measures. Until this is not properly addressed, the Guna population of Madungandi will remain a permanent source of risk for malaria transmission in this region and for the rest of the country.ConclusionThe findings of this study contribute new variables that can facilitate an intercultural approach to improve the perception of malaria in the indigenous population of Comarca Guna de Madungandi, Panama.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-017-1899-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Community-informed research on malaria in pregnancy in Monrovia, Liberia: a grounded theory study

“…For example, indirect causal factors—such as stagnant waters and unhygienic surroundings—were identified as direct causes of infection, as reported for Burkina Faso [ 34 ], Gambia [ 35 , 36 ], Ghana [ 21 ], Malawi [ 21 ], Nigeria [ 37 ] and elsewhere. Witchcraft as a perceived cause of malaria-like febrile diseases was also reported in The Gambia [ 35 ], Gabon [ 38 ], and Ivory Coast [ 39 ] and even in distant regions such as Panama [ 23 ]. Perceptions that individuals presenting with malaria-related symptoms (i.e.…”

“…Folk beliefs and remedies and the barriers to access safe quality care revealed in this study should not be ignored in future malaria research involving pregnant women in Liberia. As Anyanwu [ 37 ], Cáceres [ 23 ] and Ndoye [ 20 ] argued, malaria care-seeking behaviours are socially, historically and economically patterned and need be studied from an epidemiological, anthropological and psychological perspective. To strengthen NMCP interventions targeting pregnant women in countries such as Liberia, participatory research approaches could be useful to grasp the way local knowledge is structured.…”

“…On one hand, socio-economic and culturally mediated constructs on health and disease influence how pregnant women understand and use malaria care for themselves and their progeny [ 19 – 21 ]. In addition, structural contributors such as poverty, illiteracy, food insecurity and political instability also affect malaria care-seeking behaviours and contribute to malaria burden [ 21 – 23 ].…”

Long-term Transmission Patterns and Public Health Policies Leading to Malaria Elimination in Panamá

“…This is clearly illustrated by guna communities where a disproportionate number of malaria cases (> 90% in 2019) occurs despite their relative small proportion (around 2.4%) in the whole population [13,17]. This crucial obstacle has been previously identified in several studies and reports from indigenous communities in Panama [9,10,70,71], but remains a neglected issue to be solved. In this line, it is important to improve health services and reduced socioeconomical disparities in the indigenous reservations, precisely where malaria transmission persists [11,14].…”

Long-term transmission patterns and public health policies leading to malaria elimination in Panamá

“…This is clearly illustrated by guna communities, where a disproportionate number of malaria cases (> 90% in 2019) occurs despite representing a relatively small proportion (around 2.4%) of the whole population [13,18]. This crucial obstacle has been previously identi ed in several studies and reports from indigenous communities in Panamá [9,10,71,72], but remains a neglected issue to be solved. In this line, it is important to improve health services and reduced socioeconomical disparities in the indigenous reservations, precisely where malaria transmission persists [11,14].…”