Socio-Political and Cultural Determinants of Diarrheal Disease in the Mekong Delta: From Discourse to Incidence

This dissertation examines the cultural, social, environmental, and political factors that shape the spread of diarrhea in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. The case of the Mekong Delta shows why the spread of disease is not merely an epidemiological problem, but an institutional one as well. Social inequalities, the dominance of central-state led discourse, and the lack of participatory health education all contribute to a persistently high incidence of disease. This research calls for a re-politicization and contextualization of public health problems in order to better understand why they occur and therefore be better able to prevent them. Dissertation. (Series: ZEF Development Studies - Vol. 28) [Subject: Asian Studies, Vietnamese Studies, Epidemiology, Public Health]