Medical Anthropology. Medical Sociology. India. Tribe. Assam. Nagaland. Tribal Medicines. Traditional Medicines. Alternative Medicines. Crude Druges Research. Sociology of Medicines. Medical Pluralism.

Oral  lichen  planus  is  a  cell-mediated  immune  condition.  It  is  one  of  the  most
common dermatological disease present in the oral cavity.  It is mostly found in
middle  aged  and  elderly  Indian  population  with a  prevalence  rate  of  2.6%.  The
purpose of this article is to highlight a case of oral lichen planus affecting a 22-year-old male without concomitant cutaneous lesions who had been treated earlier
with  topical  steroid  but  repeated  recurrence  of  the  lesion  made  us  to  shift  the
treatment from steroid to herbal curcumin which yielded positive results.

The physicalistic and mechanistic view of Western biomedicine provides a convenient escape route from explanations of phenomena like the placebo effect, “sham” or “inert” treatments having the faculty to rally the healing process by causing objective changes in physiological functioning. Because anthropology is dialectical and comparative in its approach, it establishes a biocultural dialogue in its interpretations. Anthropologists speculate that what is overlooked are the systems of beliefs and expectations of patients. Local cultures present traditional ideas of what sickness is and of what to expect, reinforced by processes of socialization and communication. In portraying placebos as ultimately “culturogenic”, products of culturally-derived expectations that interact directly with individual physiology, anthropology has provided what is a refreshing narrative for the understanding of medical phenomena such as the placebo effect.

Hypospadias is a relatively common genital condition in which the urethral opening forms on the underside of the penis, as opposed to at the tip of the glans. Patients with hypospadias are typically referred for surgery during infancy or early childhood. Recent evidence, however, indicates that many individuals with hypospadias do not experience the functional or psychosocial difficulties that are commonly attributed to the condition, and that surgical intervention for hypospadias carries substantial risk of adverse outcomes. In this article, we review published outcomes data and conduct an in-depth analysis of the typical rationales for hypospadias surgery, taking into consideration both the potential benefits and harms of the procedure, as well as the existence of non-surgical alternatives. We argue, firstly, that most childhood surgeries for hypospadias are performed for anticipated future problems concerning function and cosmesis, rather than extant problems that serve to undermine the child’s well-being. Secondly, we contend that the surgery can be safely performed after an age of consent without increasing the absolute risk of surgical complications to an ethically meaningful degree. We conclude that surgery for hypospadias should typically be performed only if requested by the affected individual, under conditions of informed consent.

In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its policy on infant male circumcision, arguing that the benefits of the procedure outweigh the risks. In response, medical authorities from Europe and Canada argued that the AAP report exhibited cultural bias in favor of circumcision. In this commentary, originally published at the University of Oxford’s Practical Ethics website, I argue that the AAP is on less secure footing than it seems to think. Taking into consideration both scientific and ethical perspectives, I conclude that circumcision before an age of consent is not an appropriate health-promotion strategy.

Anthropological and sociological interests on medical problem ranges from understanding of Ethno-medicine, Cultural perception of health and ailment, Cultural, habitual and behavioral practices influencing the prevalence and spread of diseases, culture specific morbidity, Medical pluralism, Problem with delivery and acceptance/utilization of modern medicines etc. This book presents an in-depth-holistic analysis among the two important tribes, the Dimasa Kacharis and the Zeme Nagas in the highlands of Assam, on health issues involving disease, sickness and illness, their involving cultural practices, traditional system of medicines etc. Medical Anthropology, over the years has emerged as a specialization within Anthropology and various sub-specializations have been developed within it. Major areas of medical anthropological investigation are considered here in holistic investigation of the two communities that to be a significant contribution towards the emergence of a comprehensive methodology in ethnographic study of medical problem. This is, apart from being useful to the public health workers/practitioners in the concerned area, claimed to be an important reference work in Anthropology, Sociology, Medical History, Community Medicine and Public Health, Medical Planning, Tribal Health, Crude Drug Research, Conservation and other related fields of inquiry.

A PhD studentship is available for UK and EU citizens only. The studentship will attract an annual tax-free stipend of £14,777 for up to 3 years, subject to satisfactory progress and will cover the UK/EU tuition fees. You should hold a first degree equivalent to at least a UK upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject. This project would suit a student with a strong background in international health policy and systems. Candidate whose first language is not English must provide evidence that their English language is sufficient to meet the specific demands of their study, the Faculty minimum requirements are: • British Council IELTS-score of 6.5 overall, with no element less than 6.0 • TOEFL iBT-overall score of 92 with the listening and reading element no less than 21, writing element no less than 22 and the speaking element no less than 23.

The broad applicability of allergen-specific immunotherapy for the
treatment  and  eventual  prevention  of  Ig  E -  mediated  allergy  is
limited by the poor quality and allergenic activity of natural allergen
extracts that are used for the production of current allergy vaccines.
Recombinant allergens equalling their natural counterparts have been
produced for diagnosis and immunotherapy, and a large panel of
genetically  modified  allergens  with  reduced  allergenic  activity  has
been characterized to improve safety of immunotherapy and explore
allergen-specific prevention strategies. Recombinant allergens can be
produced as defined molecules with consistent quality and unlimited
amounts  according  to  the  corresponding  DNA  template.  The
recombinant  allergen-based  vaccination  strategies  will  be  generally
applicable to most allergen sources, including respiratory, food and
venom allergens and allow producing safe allergy vaccines for the
treatment of the most common forms of IgE-mediated allergies.

In a recent study, I carried out in-depth interviews with people in three geographical
regions of England who had been identified as carriers of sickle cell and thalassaemia, two potentially serious genetic blood disorders. The goal of the research was to understand the biographical context and the meaning of genetic risk for participants of different ages from particular ethnic groups who had been identified as carriers. The case study provides empirical examples of how I used interactional analysis to make sense of long transcripts of biographical interviews, focusing on the dialogic process between the participant (speaker) and the listener within which a narrative on genetic risk is co-constituted. The reader will appreciate the twin interpretative process involved in making sense of the data, involving both (a) how research participants engaged withand responded to a particular question about being a carrier/genetic risk and (b) how I, in turn, made sense of their responses, picking up on gaps and inconsistencies in following the story through. The case study focuses on how the methods I chose for interviewing and analysis reflected my theoretical assumptions.