Haiti suffered the biggest outbreak of cholera in human history and what happened there demonstrates the larger picture of this disease: the political and social aspects of it, and the fear and suspicions it instils in an entire society. The work surrounding the quest for a cure for infectious diseases is mainly a medical one while the social aspects of a disease is the task of anthropology. This essay is about the history of medical anthropology and the importance of not just the clinical side of an epidemic but of the human side as well. The case-study is cholera and all the problems it brings, but also the problems that cause it. Despite the fact that cholera is a preventable disease, people in the thousands die because of it every year. Its impact is most severe in countries with poor sanitation, poor access to medical care and poor knowledge about how to prevent it. This paper will explore the evolution of cholera and the contribution of medical anthropology to the field of epidemiology.
Open Source Archives
We strive to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and the implementation of progressive and participatory research methods, with the goal of generating tangible, durable changes in the way research about Haiti is conceptualized, implemented and applied.
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Research Hub & Open Source Archives
EKO HAITI Research Hub is a research and knowledge mobilization platform focused on creative, collaborative and interdisciplinary research and associated research-based learning. We aim to become the intellectual “home” for research about Haiti by creating and providing open access to the largest crowdsourced research archive dedicated to Haiti, by fostering cross-disciplinary research and innovation, and by providing support for progressive research in the form of contextual expertise and training.
“The trees fall from time to time, but the voice of the forest never loses its power. Life begins.”
Jacques Alexis, Les Arbres Musiciens (Paris, 1957)
ORAL HISTORIES
Oral histories are a powerful tool in developing historical understanding
Oral history offers an alternative to conventional history, filling gaps in traditional research with personal accounts of historically significant events or simply life in a specific place and time. Oral histories do more than provide charming details to dry historical accounts. In fact, oral histories help others recapture lived experiences that are not written down in traditional sources.
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" Bwa pi wo di li wè lwen, men grenn pwomennen di li wè pi lwen pase l "
The tallest tree says that it sees far, but the seed that travels says that it sees even further.
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