1
|
Gallois S, Ambassa A, Ramírez Rozzi F. Indigenous peoples' health: Culturally grounded evidence from the Baka, Southeastern Cameroon. Soc Sci Med 2024; 350:116936. [PMID: 38728976 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Indigenous Peoples are exposed to the impacts of the climatic, ecological and socioeconomic changes, yet there is a need for a better understanding of their health and higher involvement of Indigenous Peoples in health promotion design and implementation. Our study brings empirical data on the healthcare system of the Baka, forager-horticulturalists from Cameroon. Using a mixed methods approach, we explored the health issues they encounter, the emic determinants of health and healthcare system, and the different threats towards their healthcare system. We conducted focus group discussions, interviews with experts, and self-reported health recalls with 302 individuals living in two settlements from southeastern Cameroon during two fieldwork periods between June and November 2022. Our insights highlight the prevalence of respiratory and children's digestive issues, and the occurrence of illnesses implying a combination of symptoms that would deserve further Western biomedical attention. The Baka's healthcare relies on medicinal plants, knowledge experts, and on the social cohesion of the community, all largely affected by the local social-ecological impacts of global change. Exposure to the market and health facilities does not seem to relate to Baka's health state and practices but might affect their perception of health. Deforestation, poor water quality, and alcohol (ab)use were reported and observed threats to the Baka's health and healthcare system. Our work supplies empirical evidence for a better understanding of Baka's health and healthcare system, helpful in designing health prevention and policies adapted to their reality and culture. Further research and interventions on health should consider the current threats to Baka's local ecosystems and cultural knowledge. These insights contribute to a higher recognition of the Baka's, and most broadly, the Indigenous Peoples' emic perspective on health, and on culturally grounded indicators of the resilience of their healthcare system to current and future challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Gallois
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | | | - Fernando Ramírez Rozzi
- Eco-anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France; UR 2496, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Université de Paris Cité, Montrouge, France
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Acharibasam JB, Hurlbert M, Datta R, Wâsakâyâsiw Lewis K. Meanings of indigenous land-based healing and the implications for water governance. Explore (NY) 2024; 20:102998. [PMID: 38609742 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The continuous process of settler colonialism in Canada has profoundly impacted Indigenous Peoples' relationship with the Land and water, which holds immense significance in their healing journey. Reconnecting with the land and water through culturally rooted practices has far-reaching implications for the health and well-being of Indigenous communities. Maintaining a strong bond with the land and water is integral to Indigenous healing traditions. To gain insights into this connection we used a relational theoretical framework and engaged with Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation, a remote Indigenous community. Our approach centred around community-based participatory research, utilizing methods like deep listening, cultural camps and story-sharing to collect wisdom from community members, knowledge keepers, and Elders. The research findings show understanding the connection between Land-based healing practices and Indigenous-led water governance is critical to solving the water crises within remote Indigenous communities. This knowledge is indispensable for reshaping current water governance systems and ensuring the well-being of Indigenous communities across Canada.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Margot Hurlbert
- Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina, Canada
| | - Ranjan Datta
- Community Disaster Research at the Indigenous Studies, Department of Humanities, Mount Royal University, Canada
| | - Kevin Wâsakâyâsiw Lewis
- Translator and Transcriber at kâniyâsihk Culture Camps via kRDI, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
White BP, Breakey S, Brown MJ, Smith JR, Tarbet A, Nicholas PK, Ros AMV. Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change Among Vulnerable Populations Globally: An Integrative Review. Ann Glob Health 2023; 89:66. [PMID: 37810609 PMCID: PMC10558031 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Climate change has been shown to be directly linked to multiple physiological sequelae and to impact health consequences. However, the impact of climate change on mental health globally, particularly among vulnerable populations, is less well understood. Objective To explore the mental health impacts of climate change in vulnerable populations globally. Methods We performed an integrative literature review to identify published articles that addressed the research question: What are the mental health impacts of climate change among vulnerable populations globally? The Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Model served as a theoretical model during the review process and data synthesis. Findings/Results One hundred and four articles were selected for inclusion in this review after a comprehensive review of 1828 manuscripts. Articles were diverse in scope and populations addressed. Land-vulnerable persons (either due to occupation or geographic location), Indigenous persons, children, older adults, and climate migrants were among the vulnerable populations whose mental health was most impacted by climate change. The most prevalent mental health responses to climate change included solastalgia, suicidality, depression, anxiety/eco-anxiety, PTSD, substance use, insomnia, and behavioral disturbance. Conclusions Mental health professionals including physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other healthcare providers have the opportunity to mitigate the mental health impacts of climate change among vulnerable populations through assessment, preventative education and care. An inclusive and trauma-informed response to climate-related disasters, use of validated measures of mental health, and a long-term therapeutic relationship that extends beyond the immediate consequences of climate change-related events are approaches to successful mental health care in a climate-changing world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Patrick White
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Suellen Breakey
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Margaret J. Brown
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Jenny Rand Smith
- MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Amanda Tarbet
- SFPE Foundation, 9711 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, US
| | - Patrice K. Nicholas
- Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health, MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing, 36 1@st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129, US
| | - Ana M. Viamonte Ros
- Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, US
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sahu M, Chattopadhyay B, Das R, Chaturvedi S. Measuring Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Health in the Background of Multiple Disadvantages: A Scoping Review for Equitable Public Health Policy Formulation. JOURNAL OF PREVENTION (2022) 2023; 44:421-456. [PMID: 36512184 PMCID: PMC9745731 DOI: 10.1007/s10935-022-00718-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How climate change is uniquely affecting Indigenous health remains a very less explored area in the existing research literature. The imperative of inclusive climate action to protect indigenous health multiplies manifolds due to their unique vulnerabilities owing to predominant dependence on natural resources and multiple disadvantages faced. The current article attempted to add to the evidence pool regarding climate change impacts on the indigenous population by systematically collecting, processing, and interpreting data as a scoping literature review for effective and inclusive climate policymaking. Twenty-Nine articles of varied study designs were identified employing a systematically organized search strategy using PubMed (Field, MeSH, and advanced search) and Google scholar; relevant data were extracted for further analysis. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed. Changing climate scenarios had both direct and indirect health-related impacts on indigenous health, and altered the epidemiological triad for various health-related events, causing the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, and increased prevalence of chronic diseases and mental disorders. An expanded framework was developed showcasing the variability of climate change events, multiple disadvantages, and its impacts on indigenous populations. Few studies also reported a wide range of adaptation responses of indigenous peoples towards climate change. It was substantiated that any climate-change mitigation policy must take into account the trials and tribulations of indigenous communities. Also, due to the complexity and large variability of the impacts and differences in mitigation capabilities, policies should be contextualized locally and tailored to meet the climate need of the indigenous community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monalisha Sahu
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, 110, Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata, 700 073, India
| | - Biswadip Chattopadhyay
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, 110, Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata, 700 073, India.
| | - Ranjan Das
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, 110, Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata, 700 073, India
| | - Sakshi Chaturvedi
- Faculty of Nursing, Banasthali Vidyapith, Tonk, Rajasthan, 304022, India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Beyeler NS, Nicastro TM, Jawuoro S, Odhiambo G, Whittle HJ, Bukusi EA, Schmidt LA, Weiser SD. Pathways from climate change to emotional wellbeing: A qualitative study of Kenyan smallholder farmers living with HIV. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002152. [PMID: 37490427 PMCID: PMC10368256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is associated with adverse mental and emotional health outcomes. Social and economic factors are well-known drivers of mental health, yet comparatively few studies examine the social and economic pathways through which climate change affects mental health. There is additionally a lack of research on climate change and mental health in sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative study aimed to identify potential social and economic pathways through which climate change impacts mental and emotional wellbeing, focusing on a vulnerable population of Kenyan smallholder farmers living with HIV. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with forty participants to explore their experience of climate change. We used a thematic analytical approach. We find that among our study population of Kenyan smallholder farmers living with HIV, climate change is significantly affecting mental and emotional wellbeing. Respondents universally report some level of climate impact on emotional health including high degrees of stress; fear and concern about the future; and sadness, worry, and anxiety from losing one's home, farm, occupation, or ability to support their family. Climate-related economic insecurity is a main driver of emotional distress. Widespread economic insecurity disrupts systems of communal and family support, which is an additional driver of worsening mental and emotional health. Our study finds that individual adaptive strategies used by farmers in the face of economic and social volatility can deepen economic insecurity and are likely insufficient to protect mental health. Finally, we find that agricultural policies can worsen economic insecurity and other mental health risk factors. Our proposed conceptual model of economic and social pathways relevant for mental health can inform future studies of vulnerable populations and inform health system and policy responses to protect health in a changing climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naomi S Beyeler
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Tammy M Nicastro
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Stanley Jawuoro
- Center for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Gladys Odhiambo
- Center for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Henry J Whittle
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Bukusi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Center for Microbiology Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Laura A Schmidt
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sheri D Weiser
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xu X, Dong J. Assessing the effects of topographic gradients on landscape patterns: The study case of Tingjiang river basin, China. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17619. [PMID: 37408934 PMCID: PMC10319193 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
With the progress of urbanization, the natural geographical characteristics of different river basins have also undergone tremendous changes, and bring many environmental and social issues. It is of great significance to the sustainable development of river basins to reveal the relationship between topographic and landscape patterns. Therefore, we selected Tingjiang river basin, utilizing remote sensing images from 1991, 2004, and 2017, as well as the digital elevation model (DEM) data, we computed a topographic classification system consisting of four levels (Low level, Low-medium level, Medium-high level, High level). This approach enables us to study the gradient impact of topography and investigate the mechanism influencing the landscape pattern. The results show: (1) Low-medium and medium-high topographic levels are dominant in the research sites, accounting 49.35% and 38.47%, respectively. (2) Bare land showed a significant decrease while construction, cultivated, and forest land increased from 1991 to 2017. (3) Forest land is mainly concentrated in the middle-high and high-topographic levels whereas construction land, cultivated land, water area and bare land are mainly concentrated in the middle-low and low-topographic level. (4) The landscape pattern significantly varies with the topographic gradient, where the conversion to construction land is widespread in the low-topographic area, while alternation between cultivated land and forest land mainly occurs in the medium-low and medium-high topographic areas. Consequently, these findings provide insights into the impact of topography on river basin landscape pattern, which could guide sustainable development in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xu
- College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jianwen Dong
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation and Green Development in Southern, 366300, Longyan, Fujian, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bélisle AC, Gauthier S, Asselin H. Integrating Indigenous and scientific perspectives on environmental changes: Insights from boreal landscapes. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Annie Claude Bélisle
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda Québec Canada
- Conseil de la Première Nation Abitibiwinni, Territoire et environnement Pikogan Québec Canada
| | - Sylvie Gauthier
- Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre Québec City Québec Canada
| | - Hugo Asselin
- School of Indigenous Studies Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda Québec Canada
| |
Collapse
|