Living with Diabetes and Uncertainty in Cairo offers an ethnographic exploration of the interactions of two different understandings of type-2 diabetes: one related to the notion of ḍaghṭ, translated as “pressure” or “stress,” and another related primarily to obesity. The book is set in Egypt but draws links to a diabetes clinic in Denmark and a multinational medical company, as well as engaging with international diabetes research and guidelines. It tells a story of uncertainty, not only among people in Cairo, but also within medical research, and considers what uncertainty may generate in both bodies and societies at large. The chapters provide valuable insight into the lives of those in Cairo who are diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, and explore how those lives are linked to global movements. The book ultimately reflects on the question of what is overlooked and why in prevention strategies and treatments of type-2 diabetes in Egypt. It will be of particular interest to scholars of anthropology, global and public health, and the Middle East and North Africa.

This book delves into the intricate landscape of respiratory diseases among older people, shedding light on their biosocial encounters while grappling with chronic breathlessness. While respiratory ailments predominantly afflict older people, often stemming from lifestyle choices like smoking, contemporary factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and escalating air pollution further exacerbate respiratory health challenges. Rooted in ethnographic research conducted in the UK, the narrative captures the quotidian struggles associated with abnormal breathing—an aspect typically overlooked despite its indispensability to life. Through poignant accounts, the book elucidates the profound transformations engendered by medical diagnoses, delving into their ripple effects on personal relationships and social engagements, while also offering insights into coping mechanisms. Chapters traverse the contours of patient identity, societal perceptions, community healthcare dynamics, advocacy endeavours, and the intrinsic link between health and human rights. Notably, the author delves into the pivotal role of support groups such as Breathe Easy, the empowering realm of “self-help”, and the organic formation of communities to address diverse social needs. With its multidisciplinary approach, this book appeals to a broad spectrum of scholars spanning anthropology, sociology, gerontology, and public health, offering a rich tapestry of insights into the complex interplay between health, society, and individual experiences.

This book explores issues surrounding measles and vaccination in Pakistan. Drawing on long-term ethnographic research, it focuses on two major outbreaks in Sindh Province and on Pakistan’s vaccination campaigns. The chapters examine the responses to outbreaks and vaccination from various stakeholders including local people, the Pakistani government and the WHO. Inayat Ali reflects on the competing agendas, differing conceptualizations of measles and vaccination, and the factors that lie behind these contestations. Situating outbreaks within the institutionalized form of disparities, he analyzes the rituals used to deal with measles and local resistance to vaccines in Pakistan. The distinct imaginaries and practices related to measles and vaccination are considered in national and global context, and the book makes a valuable contribution to the development of an anthropology of vaccination and medical anthropology of Pakistan.

This book uses the notion of “discretionary medicine” to explore the landscape of contemporary healthcare in Pakistan. It considers how patients frequently experience health interventions as out of touch with the suffering of everyday life and how healthcare provisions are viewed as intrusive, corrupted, and lacking in empathy towards the sick. The study focuses on mental health, acknowledging that the experience of mental illness in Pakistan is increasingly inseparable from conditions of chronic poverty caused directly by deepening inequality. The chapters address the establishment of priorities by the Pakistani healthcare system in conjunction with global disease programs and investigate the misalignments between the priorities of global institutes and local expectations/realities. It is argued that the discretionary nature of medicine is caused by the remnants of colonial-era laws, which link the maintenance of public health with questions of security. This, the author suggests, frequently contributes to forms of care that are riddled with bureaucratic violence. Using a combination of archival and ethnographic research, the book offers a multi-sited and interdisciplinary perspective on healthcare, ranging from care within low-income households and neighborhoods to diasporic communities and state institutions. It will be of interest to scholars and students of medical/psychiatric anthropology, global health, and history of medicine, as well as South Asian and Pakistan studies.

This book focuses on syndemics in the Global South and uses COVID‐19 as a window to understand clusters of disparities and disease comorbidities. The pandemic has exposed and multiplied structural inequalities and certain subpopulations were more exposed to COVID‐19 as well as experienced greater morbidity and mortality. The effects of the pandemic differ between countries but have had an especially major impact, although in varying ways, in the Global South. The contributions in this volume explore the differential impacts of COVID‐19 at individual, community, national, or regional levels, considering how structural violence is institutionalized in a way that creates vulnerable situations and disproportionate suffering. The book will be of interest to anthropologists and sociologists as well as to those working in global and public health.

With contributions by leading demographers, environmentalists, and reproductive health advocates, A Pivotal Moment offers a new perspective on the complex connection between population dynamics and environmental quality. It presents the latest research on the relationship between population growth and climate change, ecosystem health, and other environmental issues. It surveys the new demographic landscape—in which population growth rates have fallen, but human numbers continue to increase. It looks back at the lessons of the last half century while looking forward to population policies that are sustainable and just. A Pivotal Moment embraces the concept of “population justice,” which holds that inequality is a root cause of both rapid population growth and environmental degradation. By addressing inequality—both gender and economic—we can reduce growth rates and build a sustainable future.

Malnutrition is a huge burden on the Arab Republic of Egypt’s economy. Undernutrition—manifested by poor linear growth (stunting), wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies in children and by anemia among women of reproductive age—collectively saps an estimated two percent of Egypt’s annual gross domestic product through forgone productivity and health care costs, representing an economic hemorrhaging of billions of U.S. dollars per year. Adding to this challenge is the co-occurrence of overweight and obesity among children, leading to a malnutrition double burden. Scaling Up Nutrition in the Arab Republic of Egypt aims to inform the development of nutrition policy and guide nutrition investments over the coming years. It reviews Egypt’s nutrition situation, the interventions currently in place, and the opportunities, costs, benefits, and fiscal space implications of scaling up a set of high-impact interventions to address undernutrition. The book, a collaborative effort between the World Bank and UNICEF, is targeted at all those involved in developing and implementing nutrition interventions in Egypt and beyond.