ANTC68H3 Lecture Notes - Ethnomedicine, Reductionism
Document Summary
Epidemics: sudden increase in new cases of a disease. Endemic: constantly present in low levels in a population. Pandemic: an epidemic has spread across a large region (multiple countries/continents) Health: not merely the absence of disease and infirmity but complete physical, mental and social wellbeing who 1978. Morbidity refers to sickness while mortality refers to diseases. Incidence: number of new cases of a particular disease in a specific population within a given time period. Prevalence: is the number of cases of a disease within a specific population at any given time usually expressed as a rate per 100, per 100,000. Vector: is any living agent that carries and transmits an infectious organism from one host to another. Epidemiological triad consists of 3 interacting elements that promote/reduce negative health outcomes: host, agent, environment. Focus on disease agent, want to eradicate disease, reductionist, technological interventions, treats symptoms, curative rather than preventative: anthropological.
