Although medicine is generally seen as a field of human knowledge existing irrespective of social and political influences, the reality is that all spheres of life are closely interconnected. While diseases themselves are not political, the causative factors as well as approaches to solving medical problems are often directly influenced by the government. Medical anthropology studies diseases and illnesses within the context of political, social and economic conditions that exacerbate or cause such issues. Exploration of medical problems associated with water contamination will provide the most striking example of the essence of medical anthropology.
Few natural resources are as essential for survival and as commonly underestimated as water is. It is used to satisfy a number of basic human needs, ranging from preventing dehydration to hygiene and sanitation. Regular intake of clean water helps maintain physical health, ensures effective digestion, directly influences cellular functions and blood pressure. Meanwhile, the absence of water is a threat to health and well-being, which may cause a plethora of diseases. Finally, protracted deprivation of water can lead to death within the course of several days. It should be evident that access to clean water is an important constituent of individual and collective health and survival.
It should also not be surprising that water forms the backbone of economy and politics. Water is the reason why the majority of cities were built on rivers. It is essential in feeding communities, crop cultivation and functioning of irrigation systems. Water provides an effective means of transportation necessary for flourishing of commerce. Rivers and lakes are geographical barriers important for safety and security. Overall, there are many anthropological explanations for the significance of water for mankind. Control of water is also directly related to power and politics. The role of water is so important that any economic or political disturbance can result in the worsening health problems of the population.
Even though most of the media do not communicate it, the current world is also experiencing a serious water crisis. Wells and Whiteford quote the World Health Organization: “an estimated 2 billion people drink water that is contaminated and an estimated 4.5 billion use sanitation systems that do not protect their health” (160). The absence of water is a cause of deaths of hundreds thousands of lives, including children. However, the most important aspect about this observation is that the majority of such cases transpire in low-income countries. These governments cannot provide for the basic needs of their populations, thus worsening the crisis.
The most recent and evident example of the failure in disease management due to the absence of water is COVID. Probably, the first piece of advice regarding this infection each person hears is the necessity to wash hands. Exposure to soap and clean water removes germs from the skin. Regular handwashing reduces the risk of contracting an airborne virus. However, the necessary precursor to effective hygiene is the availability of clean water. The more challenged in terms of water resources a community is, the more likely it is to experience higher disease transmission frequency. It is reasonable to suggest that had more poor countries not experienced water scarcity, the impact of the pandemic would not have been as devastating.
However, as alarming as disease outbreaks are, they are not the only medical consequence of water scarcity. Actually, most of the health complications caused by water shortage are not reported and publicly known. The reason for this is that the most water-challenged community do not receive sufficient media attention. Most of the healthcare content online covers widespread issues in developed world. Meanwhile, the resource-challenged communities are often forgotten. As a result, people in such communities cannot protect themselves from pathogens or satisfy the basic human need for drinking.
The most evident example of such a community is Indigenous peoples in Canada. Duignan, Moffat, and Martin-Hill point out the drastic health disparities between mainstream Canada society and its indigenous communities (50). Most Canadians have adequate healthcare and experience no water shortage. In comparison, indigenous communities have contaminants in water sources such as E. coli, chromium, aluminum, manganese, arsenic, mercury, and uranium (Duignan, Moffat and Martin-Hill 53). As a consequence, indigenous Canadians are restricted in the choice of water sources and has worse health outcomes than mainstream Canadians, who are not aware of the formers’ issues.
In conclusion, water shortage is a serious factor negatively impacting the quality of life and overall health resilience. Water control determines the distribution of power in society and economy. The less the government is able to provide for the water needs of the population, the worse the overall health outcomes are. The COVID pandemic was especially devastating in water-challenged communities. Meanwhile, indigenous communities continue to experience the effects of complex inequality, with the indigenous peoples in Canada suffering from health disparities and water shortage in particular. Ultimately, medical anthropology showcases the relationship between socio-economic and political conditions and health outcomes using water shortage as the causative factor determined by political context.
Works Cited
Duignan, Sarah, Tina Moffat, and Dawn Martin-Hill. “Using Boundary Objects to Co-Create Community Health and Water Knowledge with Community-Based Medical Anthropology and Indigenous Knowledge.” Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-Engaged Research, Teaching and Learning, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020, pp. 49-76.
Wells, E. Christian, and Linda M. Whiteford. “The Medical Anthropology of Water and Sanitation.” A Companion to Medical Anthropology, edited by César E. Abadía-Barrero, Merrill Singer and Pamela I. Erickson, Wiley, 2022, pp. 160-179.