医療在来知 事例集

ZAIRAICHI [Local Knowledge] of Health Care in Africa and the Potential of Engaged Area Studies: Comparing the features of potters’ bodies that live “healthier” in communities to the features...

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce the concept of the ZAIRAICHI (local knowledge) of health care in Africa and then examine if engaged area studies could help Africans live “healthier” lives in their communities. African local knowledge is practical, experiential knowledge formed through individuals’ daily interactions with the natural and social environment. This concept has been used to highlight how Africans...

An Ecology of Care Approach to Nodding Syndrome in Northern Uganda (Makoto Nishi)

Nodding syndrome (NS) is a form of epilepsy that affects previously healthy children, causing frequent seizures and a decline in cognitive and motor functions. We recently launched a research project with the aim of understanding the problems NS patients and their families face through a set of contextual inquiries, which we refer to as the ecology of care: a transdisciplinary framework for understanding...

“My health is part of my way of life”: Local understanding of health and health problem in Ethiopia (Mirgissa Kaba)

Health is a holistic concept at community level. It is an integral component of social, cultural, economic and political routines of the community. Health is not about diseases or illnesses but it is about complete wellbeing which aligns well with WHO’s early definition of health. As such, health, health problems and solutions to such problems follows comprehensive pathways. Unlike the ‘modern’ health care...

Exploring issues related to obstetric fistula in developing countries (Ayako Ogasawara)

The prevalence of obstetric fistula is one of the most serious health issues related to women’s reproductive health. Obstetric fistula is a medical condition in which a hole develops between the vagina and bladder, and/or between the vagina and rectum. The fistula develops over many days of obstructed labor, when the pressure of the baby’s head against the birth canal cuts off blood...

Health Extension Workers’ Role and Potentiality in Health and Hygiene Activities in Ethiopia’s Regional City (Noriko Suzuki)

This presentation elucidates Health Extension Workers’ (HEWs) health and hygiene activities and discusses their role in a rapidly growing and urbanizing regional city in Ethiopia. The research was conducted in Arba Minch City, G kebele (the smallest Ethiopian administrative unit), from October 4 to November 9, 2018, and from June 11 to July 26, 2019. Research methods included interviews with two of the...

Anthropometric analysis for low back pain in Tanzania (Tomoki Aoyama)

Background: Low back pain is a common, but serious problem affecting vast populations in the world. Few studies on low back pain in African countries have been reported. Studies report that low back pain and pelvic angle are correlated, and African people have a high pelvic tilt. It is important to grasp the state of low back pain and how it affects people’s...

Life skills education in Malawian primary schools (Kyoko Taniguchi)

Acquiring basic skills in literary, numeracy, and essential life skills is a vital process in both developed and developing countries. In Malawi, life skills education has been included as a subject in primary education since 2004. It is also one of the subjects in the National Examination at the end of primary school. The present study examined students’ knowledge of life skills taught...

Smartphone App for Midwives (Yoko Shimpuku)

The issue of maternal health in Africa is often described in numbers, which can indicate the severity of the issue. For example, the number of maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa is at 400–500 per 100,000 live births, accounting for roughly two-thirds of maternal deaths in the continent. However, field work has unquestionable importance in elucidating issues, crucial to answering the questions of “why”...