Perspectives

Socio-cultural insights and lymphatic filariasis control – lessons from the Pacific

Shona Wynd¹, David N Durrheim¹, Jaime Carron², Billy Selve³, JP Chaine⁴, Peter A Leggat¹ and Wayne Melrose¹

¹  World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Control of Lymphatic Filariasis, James Cook University, Douglas, Townsville, 4811, Australia

²  Tabubil Hospital & Community Centre, Western Province, Papua New Guinea

³  Divine Word University, Madang, Papua New Guinea

⁴  Pacific Islands Health Officers' Association, B.O. Box 2059, Pohnpei, 96941, Federated States of Micronesia

Filaria Journal 2007, 6:3doi:10.1186/1475-2883-6-3

Published:	17 February 2007

Abstract

Background

Sustainable and equitable health programmes require a grounded understanding of the context in which they are being implemented. This socio-cultural understanding is pivotal for effective delivery of elimination programmes. Standardised valid methods are needed for gathering authentic socio-cultural insights. The currently recommended protocol for collecting Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) related socio-cultural data, while moving in the right direction, is inadequate. To collect data which provides an understanding of local health beliefs and practices, and communities' understanding of LF, techniques must be developed that are both valid and time efficient. An approach developed in the Pacific provides a basic snapshot of socio-cultural insights which are crucial to the development of relevant and sustainable health education and elimination programmes.

Summary

The increasing interest in socio-cultural LF research presents a unique opportunity for coupling socio-cultural and bio-medical understandings of LF. To address the backlog in the socio-cultural sphere will require investment of time and effort to integrate valid qualitative approaches into current data collection methodologies.