Open AccessGeography of ascariasis in Belarus: cultural and anthropological issues (Part 1)
Author(s) -
Кандрычын,
Siarhei Kandrychyn
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
rossijskij parazitologičeskij žurnal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2541-7843
pISSN - 1998-8435
DOI - 10.12737/21658
Subject(s) - geography , ascariasis , christian ministry , population , ethnic group , distribution (mathematics) , sociocultural evolution , economic geography , socioeconomics , demography , political science , anthropology , sociology , biology , zoology , helminths , mathematical analysis , mathematics , law
Objective of research: The analysis of spatial distribution of ascariasis among the population in different regions of the republic of Belarus with respect to anthropological and cultural aspects. Investigations for regional differences in ascariasis conducted in the USSR were focused rather on climatic, hygienic and economic factors and didn’t consider the causative role of cultural and anthropological factors in epidemiological process. The study is aimed at correlation of regional indices of ascariasis with the previously defined spatial historical gradient manifested in Belarus. Materials and methods: The effect of social and cultural spatial gradient was assessed by comparison of difference in ascariasis morbidity between eastern and western regions of Belarus. Thus, the effect of ethnic and anthropological spatial gradient was considered in comparison of epidemiological indices between the Brest region (south-western part of Belarus) and Vitebsk region (north-eastern part). The analysis was conducted with the historical perspective; the regional epidemiological statistics were provided for two periods 1970-1989 and 2000-2014. Regional statistical materials of the republic of Belarus presented in the annual reports of the national Ministry of Health were used as an empirical basis. Results and discussion: The analysis showed, that the differentiation trend in distribution of ascariasis in Belarus correlates both with historical-cultural and anthropological spatial gradients. The identified pattern of regional differentiation allows to evaluate the complex effect of sociocultural and anthropogenic components on epidemiological features of ascariasis.