Medical Anthropology in Global Health Systems

Medical anthropology in global health systems examines how cultural beliefs, social structures and power relations shape the experience, delivery and evaluation of health interventions worldwide. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, it explores patients’ and practitioners’ interpretations of illness, the political economy of care, and the material infrastructures that sustain—or undermine—health services. Central themes include the translation of global policy into local practice, the persistence of colonial legacies in research and governance, and the role of data and indicators in directing resources and priorities. By interrogating how health is framed, measured and experienced, medical anthropologists reveal the unintended consequences of technocratic solutions and propose culturally attuned, equity-oriented approaches. This perspective has informed more responsive maternal and child health programmes, participatory responses to epidemics, and interventions that acknowledge both structural constraints and local agency. In doing so, medical anthropology offers critical insights to strengthen the adaptability, legitimacy and fairness of health systems in diverse settings.

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Medical Anthropology in Global Health Systems publication trend

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Technical terms

Ethnography: A qualitative research method involving immersive observation and interviews to understand social practices and meanings in context.

Indicators: Quantifiable measures, such as maternal mortality ratios or vaccination rates, used to monitor health system performance and guide policy decisions.

Coloniality: An analytical framework highlighting the enduring influence of colonial power dynamics in contemporary institutions, knowledge production and practices.

Infrastructural instability: Conditions in which physical and organisational resources (labs, equipment, supply chains) are unreliable, affecting service delivery and data quality.

Fake-talk: A conceptual tool for analysing discourse about counterfeit medicines, exploring how claims of “fake” products produce social anxieties and regulatory responses.

References

1. On the coloniality of global public heath. Medicine Anthropology Theory (2019).
2. Policy, paperwork and ‘postographs’: Global indicators and maternity care documentation in rural Burkina Faso. Social Science & Medicine (2018).
3. Fake-talk as Concept and Method. Medicine Anthropology Theory (2023).
4. Infrastructural Instability, Value, and Laboratory Work in a Public Hospital in Sierra Leone. Medicine Anthropology Theory (2021).
5. “Playing the Numbers Game”: Evidence‐based Advocacy and the Technocratic Narrowing of the Safe Motherhood Initiative. Medical Anthropology Quarterly (2014).