"I will not bring science to the Bantou country" or how to remedy the medical-cultural conflict in north-south cooperation.
The purely technologic realm of modern medicine is not, at first glance, compatible with the expectations of populations that still considered disease to have a magical dimension. The gap is obvious between physicians and patients coming from different cultures but it can also be detected even when the two parties are from the same background. This medico-cultural conflict is probably one of the main causes of resistance, reticence, omissions, and disappointments that have hindered efforts to better public health. Improvement of individual well-being and sanitary conditions depends not only on available facilities but also on the mentality of those that implement their use. Cultural context should be given serious consideration in strategic decision-making. More extensive use of quality-of-life surveys could be helpful in this regard.
Boussat
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Service de Psychiatrie Infantile, CHRU Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille, France.
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008603:Mental Health; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011570:Psychiatry; D011634:Public Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D014744:Vietnam