The Human Sciences Encounters in Phnom Penh

Sunday, July 19th, 2015, at 5:00 pm, At Royal University of Fine Arts’ Meeting Room, Phnom Penh

Abstract:This research project has been conducted in Benin and Ghana since May 2014. It is about to start in Cambodia. The overall research objective is to study the global pharmaceutical drug market, especially regulation, production, distribution, consumption and uses of medicines. Artemisinin-based combination therapies are considered as a point of entry as they are pharmaceuticals used to treat a common and recurrent disease, generally perceived by the people in Benin and Ghana as relatively benign. Self-medication is common to cure what the people called malaria. In Cambodia, however, malaria is not a widespread problem, it concerned people who cross or live in tropical forest areas. The study in Cambodia is focused onpdassaï, a more widely spread disease which means « common cold » and/or « flu » in khmer.

After introducing the general problematic of the project, this communication will be divided into two parts. First, Carine Baxerres will present preliminary results about the study in progress in Benin and Ghana. She will show how the pharmaceutical distribution channels of wholesalers and retailers are radically different in these two countries. She will also highlight the impact of the uses of medicines (anti-malarial drugs but also other therapeutic classes such as antipyretic, anti-inflammatory treatments, deworming, vitamins, antibiotics….) on individuals. Next, Eve Bureau will present a few exploratory data on retailer and user practices in Cambodia.

Carine Baxerresis a social anthropologist, researcher at the French Research Institute for Developpement (IRD), within the research unit MERIT « Mother and Children facing tropical infections » (IRD – Paris Descartes University), at the moment in position in Benin. Since 15 years, her research topics are centred on the pharmaceutical market in West Africa and more recently as well on the pharmaceuticals used in reproductive health. She currently directs a research program founded by the European Research Council on the Global Pharmaceutical Market and the Artemisinine Combination Therapies for treating malaria.

Eve Bureau, post-doc IRD, UMR 216 : I'm a social anthropologist researching in the field of medical anthropology. My research activities focus on the patient's roles in health system, social movement in health, domestication of global norms and technologies, social uses of development and humanitarian actions, maternal health, social uses of medicines and drug distribution. Most of my researches have been conducted in Cambodia and France.

Malinda Tograduated her bachelor degree from Department of French of Royal University of Phnom Penh in 2014. She has participated as research assistant in different social science researches (dengue, cancer, maternal health and malaria). Now she is currently working in Globalmed project in anthropology of medicines.