UNDERSTANDING

CULTURE,
SOCIET Y and
POLITICS

Chapter 6G:
The Cultural, Social and Political Institutions
(Health System)
 6G - Health System

• Heath is, accdg. to the World Health Organization (WHO)

(1948), defines as the state of complete physical, mental, and
social well-being.

• WHO adds on by stating that health is not just defines as the

lack of illnesses or physical impairment but encompasses the
unity and harmony within the mind, body, and spirit which is
unique to each person.
 6G - Health System

• Ethnomedicine (Traditional Healing) also known as the study

of cross-cultural health system, known to process even during
the early days of anthropology (before the Age of Expedition
and Exploration of the Europeans)

• The Contemporary Western Biomedicine (CWB or Western

Medicine) known as the process on which the medical science
emphasizes technology in diagnosing and treating health
related problems.
 6G - Health System

HEALTH Domains:
• Physical - refers to the way that your body functions.
• Psychological - ability to recognize reality from imagination.
• Emotional - expressing your emotions in a positive ways.
• Social - quality of our relations to our primary and secondary
groups.
• Spiritual - maintaining harmonious relationshio with other
living things.
*accdg. to WHO
 6G - Health System

Culture-Specific Syndrome & Illness:

• classification as a disease in the culture;
• widespread familiarity in the cultture;
• complete lack of familiarity or misunderstanding of the
condition to people in other cultures;
• no objectively demonstrable biochemical or abnormalities
(signs); and
• the condition is usually recognized and treated by the folk
medicine of the that culture
 6G - Health System
Culture-Specific Syndrome & Illness:
• In the Philippines - - -
– Pasma
• interaction of hot and cold
– Sumpa/Gaba
• Sumpa - swearword inflicted by a person
• Gaba - curse given by a divine being
– Namamaligno
• disease caused by a supernatural or mythical being
– Bughat
• commonly known as “binat”
– Usog
• greetings with an “evil eye”
 6G - Health System
• Culture-Specific Syndrome & Illness:
• Philippine Folk Medicine - - -
– Albularyo
• referred to as general practitioner of folkloric modalities
– Manghihilot
• concentrates on methods and treatments applicable to injuries, fractures, & musculoskeletal conditions
– Medico
• an albularyo but adopts Western Medicine
– Magtatawas
• detects illness through a ritual called “tawas”
– Manluluop
• detects illness through sea water, salt, palm leaf and charcoal burned from coco shells
– Mangbabarang
• detects illness caused by sorcery or witchcraft
 6G - Health System

• Western Way of Healing:

– is far from thw traditional healing that we have known in the PH.
– it is the method of treatment which involves research through
scientific process.

• Alternative Healing:
– is the healing practice that has the effect of medicine but does not
necessarily originate from medical practices or a scientific method.
 6G - Health System

• Alternative Healing:
– Acupressure = similar to acupuncture but with the use of finger
– Acupuncture = used fine needles inserted at specific points
– Aromatherapy = use of “essential oils” distilled from plants
– Chiropractor = the relationship between the structure of the spine and the function of the
nervous system is seen as key to maintaining or restoring health
– Massage Therapy = may relieve pain, reduce swelling, and help loosen tight (contracted) tissue
– Ayurveda = based on the theory that illness results from the imbalance of the body’s life force
or prana
– Homeopathy = aims to restore the flow of the body's innate life force
– Naturopathy = focuses on finding the cause of the disease rather than merely treating symptoms
– Traditional Chinese Medicine = uses formulas containing mixtures of herbs to treat various
ailments
 6G - Health System

• Health as a Human Right: 4 Elements

– Availability
– Accessibility
– Acceptability
– Quality
• Health as a Human Right: Key Aspects
– Health is an inclusive right
– Heath contains freedoms
– Health provides all without any discrimination
– Health must have the four elements