Peru: Issues on Health and Culture - Essay Example

Peru: Health and Culture al Affiliation Peru: Health and Culture Peru is a Latin American country which is situated in thewestern region of South America. Due to complex geographical structure, the country is mainly divided into three parts, i.e., the jungle, the coast, and the mountains regions (Project Peru, 2015). The mountainous provinces comprise around 30% of Peruvian area, but are home to over 50% of population of the country. The mass number of highlands poses a great barrier for state development projects and integration into a whole society. The result is the emergence of multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual state with drastic inequalities in standard of living and services, like education, health and welfare (Peru, 2015). According to the latest official data, the Peruvian population reached over 29 million with gross domestic production of US$ 2600 in 2008 (Petrera et al., 2013, p. 131). Peru, which is categorized as a lower-middle income country by the World Bank, has recently begun various programs to develop cultural and medical pluralism in the country (Borja, 2010, p. 1-2). The purpose of this paper is to analyze culture and health status of the country by means of available researches and data. Health Over the years, health care system in Peru has remained poor. In the country, health services are provided through the decentralized network of private and public health sectors. The Ministry of Health and Social Health Insurance are some of the public heath entities, while medical centers and private clinics are some of the private heath entities in Peru. Even though health expenditures increased from 4.4% to 5% of gross domestic product in 2005, per capita heath services purchasing capability didn’t improve due to dramatic rise in the health maintenance and heath care costs (Petrera et al., 2013, p. 132). Due to poverty, high social, cultural, and economic inequalities, and high illiteracy, only 50% of the population has access to public healthcare services and merely 15% of the population that living in extreme poverty. Today, high maternal and infant mortality rates, malnutrition, misinformation, and poor access to health services are some of the major issues in the health sector of Peru (Peru, 2015). Nutrition Indigenous children of Amazon and Andes regions in Peru are among the most malnourished populations in the world. In these regions, over 50% of children are suffering from anemia, Vitamin A deficiency, and chronic malnutrition (Peru: Improving Nutrition, 2015). In Peru, almost 32% of children under the age of 5 are stunted and almost 20% are underweight. On the other hand, 65% of teenagers are overweight, among them 30% are obese. High saturated fats, carbohydrates, and sugar-rich diets have triggered high rates of overweight and obesity among adults, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension (Nutrition, 2015, p.1-2). Recently, the Peruvian government with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted various programs, like CRECER, to improve nutrition status and food security in the country’s rural and poor regions (Peru: Improving Nutrition, 2015). Also, the World Bank has provided over US$ 30 million aid to Peruvian government to improve nutrition and health services in the country (Nutrition, 2015, p. 2). Physical and Mental Illnesses According to 2008 official reports, the prevalence of mental illnesses and disorders is around 38% in Peru. Mental illnesses are one of the major causes of impairment in the 15-45 age group (Mental healthcare, 2015). Chronic depression, addiction, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are the leading mental disorders in Peru. According to available reports, merely 41 out of every 1000 patients with mental illnesses receive mental health services in the country. It is mainly due to government’s negligence towards mental health services. In Peru, hardly 8% primary health centers provide mental health care and only 3% of total health budget is allocated for mental health sector (Mental healthcare, 2015). Being a tropical region, infectious diseases are highly prevalent in Peru. It is reported that almost 13.5 million Peruvian population lives in highly prone regions for malaria transmission risk. However, due to adoption of massive vaccination programs, the number of malaria cases decreased from 88,000 to 29,500 between 2004 and 2010 (PAN, 2012, p. 526-528). Besides malaria, other vaccine-preventable diseases, like mumps, measles, rubella, Hepatitis fever have brought under control as there are hardly any cases of such diseases in the country in recent years. Since last few years, the HIV epidemic has been steadily growing in the country. In 2010, over 1050 cases of AIDS and over 3100 cases of HIV infection were reported. As almost 33% of the country’s population suffers through obesity, the rates of heart diseases, cirrhosis, diabetes, and hypertensive diseases are rapidly growing in Peru (PAN, 2012, p. 526-530). Childbearing and Childrearing Due to ill-treatment, unaffordable hospital or health center fees and conservative cultural norms, many Peruvian women, especially indigenous women, prefer to give birth at home. Various researchers, including Center for Reproductive Law and Policy and the Latin American committee for Women’s Rights (CLADEM) have presented various evidences of psychological and physical violence against pregnant women by health-care workers in Peru (Panos London, 2002). Over the years, fertility rate has steadily decreased in the country. In 1980, the overall fertility rate was 4.5 which dropped to 2.5 children per woman in 2010 (Ewig, 2002, p. 12; PAN, 2012, p. 522). The crude birth rate in Peru was 21.5 per 1000 population in 2010 with average life expectancy of 73 years at birth (PAN, 2012, p. 522). In Peru, there is a huge difference in childrearing practices between the white and indigenous populations. Indigenous women tend to carry their babies in cotton slings upon their backs even while performing household and agricultural tasks. They also openly breast-feed their infants, believing it as a natural duty. Such practice is avoided by the white and modern mestizo women (Peru, 2015). In urban areas, children are encouraged by their parents to get education, while, in rural areas, children are expected to support their poor families by engaging in labor and other works from early ages. In Peruvian society, children are brought up to be hard-working, obedient, and respectful towards their elders (Peru, 2015). Mortality Rate With a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 96 per 100,000, Peru is among the countries with the highest mortality rates in the world when compared with MMR of 17 per 100,000 in the developed countries (Borja, 2010, p. 20). In rural areas of Peru, the ratio is even higher, i.e., over 200 per 100,000 (Pallavi, 2012). Also, the infant mortality rate in the country has steadily dropped from 34 per 1000 births in 2001 to 18 per 1000 in 2010 (PAN, 2012, p. 526). Infectious diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the country as an average mortality rate due to communicable diseases was 127 per 100,000 population in the country in 2007. Besides, the rate was 115 for tumors, 102 for circulatory system-related diseases, and 75 for external causes which include cardiovascular diseases, prostate, cancer, and liver diseases (PAN, 2012, p. 527). Culture Family Roles and Sexuality In urban regions, the Peruvian family units are identical to the western nuclear family model, while in rural areas, the extended kin based on the indigenous traditions can be found. In Peruvian culture, men possess strong authoritarian roles, handling the family budget, commanding discipline, and representing the family in the outer world. On the other hand, women are supposed to do household works and take care of children (Peru, 2015). The cultural norms insist men to stick with their duty of protection and responsibilities towards family, while women are required to remain sexually pure, i.e., loyal to their husbands. These norms are highly influenced by the worldwide concept of family honor and the absence of purity in women is considered as a threat to the honor of the family. Overall, Peruvian culture demands moral superiority of women through the refusal of their sexuality, the emphasis on motherhood, and the insistence for the spirit of sacrifice. In opposite, it is believed that masculine sexuality is irresistible and superior and they should confirm their manhood through the free exercise of their sexuality and the control of the sexuality of women in their families. Therefore, men are allowed to establish multiple sexual relationships outside the marriage without any commitment (Peru-Family Representation, 2015). In teenagers’ lives sexuality plays the major role. Even though majority of Peruvian teenagers are sexually active in their teen ages, their knowledge and expression of sexuality is significantly limited. Due to inadequate sexual education, economic issues, violence, racism, and family tensions suppress the psychological and physical development of teenagers’ sexuality, leading to growing cases of rapes, epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (Bayer et al., 2010, p. 771-780). Spirituality and Beliefs Over the centuries, Peru has been a Catholic country with 92% of its population is Catholic while the rest are following Protestant beliefs. Indigenous population follows ancient types of worship in combination with Catholic rituals and pre-Hispanic traditions. The concepts such as, rebirth and Armageddon are widely believed in Peruvian culture (Peru, 2015). In Peruvian culture, which is highly based on gender segregation, children and women are believed to be more prone to illnesses and diseases caused by spiritual powers, encouraging many regulations and taboos (Borja, 2010, p. 4-13). In the indigenous community, spiritual and cosmological powers are believed to be major causes of illnesses and death and hence, majority of indigenous people rely on traditional medicines and cosmological and spiritual treatment methods rather than western medical treatments. Porteras (midwives) are widely consulted in rural areas to perform such treatments (Peru, 2015). Conclusion Health and culture are mutually connected factors. In Peruvian society, strong cultural beliefs and traditions have played a crucial role in health performance of its population, especially, for women and children. Poor access to health centers, expensive healthcare services, ill-treatment, reluctance towards western medical treatments and cultural norms have caused poor maternal and infant mortality rates, high prevalence of communicable diseases, and overall, poor health status of Peruvian population. In order to improve the health scenarios in the country, it is necessary for the government to implement effective health care programs, widespread health awareness campaigns and affordable health services that would integrate all ethnic groups in the society. References Bayer, A. M., Tsui, A. O., & Hindin, M. J. (2010). Constrained Choices: Adolescents Speak on Sexuality in Peru. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 12(7), 771–782. doi:10.1080/13691058.2010.488299 Borja, A. (2010). Medical Pluralism in Peru-Traditional Medicine in Peruvian Society. bir.brandeis.edu, 1-75, PDF Document. Retrieved from https://bir.brandeis.edu/bitstream/handle/10192/23882/BorjaMastersThesisFinal.pdf?sequence=1 Ewig, C. (2002, April 19). The Politics of Health Sector Reform in Peru. future.org, 1-46, PDF Document. Retrieved from http://www.future.org/sites/future.org/files/Ewig%-20Christina.%20Washington%20Abril%202002.%20The%20Politics%20of%20Health%20Sector%20Reform%20in%20Peru.pdf Mental healthcare in Peru (2015). SUD World Project. Retrieved from http://www.sudwp.org/peru.html Nutrition at a Glance (2015). The World Bank, 1-2, PDF Document. Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NUTRITION/Resources/281846-1271963823772/Peru.pdf Pallavi (2012, January 16). Integrating Health and Culture in Peru. NotEnoughGood.com. Retrieved from http://notenoughgood.com/2012/01/peru/ PAN American Health Organization (2012). Peru. Health in Americas, 522-535, PDF Document. Retrieved from http://www.paho.org/saludenlasamericas/index.php?option-=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=143&Itemid= Panos London (2002, January 2). Easing the labour pains in Peru’s childbirth culture. Panos London Illuminating Voices. 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