For most, charities are fads, coming and going as quickly as iTunes’ top 100. Recently, there have been the LiveStrong wristbands, Operation Smile, Gap’s (RED) and TOMs Shoes. For Dr. Anat Rosenthal, the rise of HIV/AIDS in the sub-Sahara region of Africa is no fad.
Rosenthal, a medical anthropologist, lectured on “The Right to Care? HIV/AIDS, Development Programs and Vulnerable Children in Rural Malawai” on Wednesday as part of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, Department of Anthropology and Embrey Human Rights Program.
Originally, Rosenthal had based her research on undocumented African women living in Tel Aviv who were HIV positive. During her work, the patients informed her about life back in Ghana, South Africa and Malawi.
They never failed to tell her about the AIDS culture in those countries.
“I knew I wanted to do something about HIV in Africa and the social-cultural life,” Rosenthal said.
Since her decision to work in Malawi, Rosenthal has comprehensively studied how both international and local health organizations impact the impoverished communities and villagers.
Located in southeastern Africa, Malawi is contingent to Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. Malawi is an extremely poor country with an alarmingly low life expectancy and high infant mortality rate. Most prevalently, Malawi is home to one of the world’s most staggering HIV/AID populations, effecting between 11-14 percent of the estimated 14 million citizens.
Workers in the health and anthropological fields work to assess, combat and prevent HIV/AIDS outbreaks.
Rosenthal is one of many dedicated specialists, committed to the cause.
Rosenthal’s lecture gathered much interest from the SMU student body.
Bei Bei Yang a sophomore Ph.D. candidate in medical anthropology, found the lecture relevant to her own studies of HIV/AIDS in northern Nigeria.
“HIV is always a hot issue in medical anthropology,” said Yang. “Many African countries share this experience.”
From a different angle, Bachelor of Science candidate Lisa Marshall felt that Rosenthal’s lecture “highlighted … that [health care] is a very gray world.”
Rosenthal’s work may seem bleak, but she is passionately dedicated to helping the people in Malawi.
When asked about her work and her experience, Rosenthal said, “I guess the lesson is if there’s something you’re interested in, and something important to you, you will find it.”
Rosenthal believes that she has found “it” in Malawi.
Originally from Israel, Rosenthal is a former Fulbright Fellow in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Currently she is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research specializes in social and cultural effects of AIDS regarding health policy, undocumented migrants, and also fieldwork in both Israel and Malawi.
