IUAES Commission on Medical Anthropology and Epidemiology focuses on understanding multifaceted dimensions of healthcare practices, beliefs and knowledge of health and illnesses across diverse communities and contemporary health care systems.

Introducing our commission’s team.

Dr. Ivan Sarmiento – Commission Chair

Dr. Sarmiento’s work focuses on integrating various sources of knowledge through the development and application of participatory research techniques. He is especially interested in fostering intercultural dialogue between Western and Indigenous health systems. His contributions include utilising rigorous epidemiological tools to gain insights into traditional health systems. Recently, he has been involved in participatory modelling, using fuzzy cognitive mapping to create flexible models that illustrate causal relationships related to health issues. These models can incorporate both published evidence and stakeholder knowledge. He has contributed to over 24 projects across eight countries using this approach.

Publications

1. Sarmiento I, Field M, Kgakole L, Molatlhwa P, Girish I, Andersson N, Cockcroft A. Community perceptions of causes of violence against young women in Botswana: fuzzy cognitive mapping. Vulnerable Child Youth Stud. Published online October 16, 2023:1-57. doi:10.1080/17450128.2023.2262413
2. Sarmiento I, Kgakole L, Molatlhwa P, Girish I, Andersson N, Cockcroft A. Community perceptions about causes of suicide among young men in Botswana: an analysis based on fuzzy cognitive maps. Vulnerable Child Youth Stud. Published online October 11, 2023:1-23. doi:10.1080/17450128.2023.2262941
3. Sarmiento I, Paredes-Solís S, De Jesús-García A, Maciel-Paulino N, Meneses-Rentería A, Amaya C, Cockcroft A, Andersson N. Traditional Midwifery Contribution to Safe Birth in Cultural Safety: Narrative Evaluation of an Intervention in Guerrero, Mexico. Community Health Equity Res Policy. 2022 Oct 3:272684X221120481. doi: 10.1177/0272684X221120481. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36189713
4. Sarmiento I, Paredes-Solís S, de Jesús García A, Maciel Paulino N, Serrano de los Santos FR, Legorreta-Soberanis J, Zuluaga G, Cockcroft A, Andersson N. Safe birth in cultural safety in southern Mexico: a pragmatic non-inferiority cluster-randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022;22(1):43. doi:10.1186/s12884-021-04344-w
5. Sarmiento I, Cockcroft A, Dion A, Paredes-Solís S, De Jesús-García A, Melendez D, Marie Chomat A, Zuluaga G, Meneses-Rentería A, Andersson N. Combining Conceptual Frameworks on Maternal Health in Indigenous Communities—Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping Using Participant and Operator-independent Weighting. Field methods. 2022;34:1525822X2110704. doi:10.1177/1525822X211070463

Dr. Nishant Saxena- Deputy Chair

Dr. Saxena is presently working as a Scientist with the Division of Social Sciences and Ethnomedicine at the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Research in Tribal Health, Jabalpur, India (ICMR-NIRTH). He has been honoured as the Scientific Advisor to Institute of Translational Health Science (ITHS) Mohali, India. His initial training was in Cultural Anthropology and subsequently he worked on the confluence of Culture and Cognition during the doctoral degree programme at the University of Allahabad, India. Dr. Saxena started his career as a professional anthropologist with the Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata. His present research focus is on bridging a connection between traditional health practices of indigenous communities and the public health system in India. Further, he has contributed on a range of issues of anthropological relevance through extramurally funded research projects and participation in academic discourse like conferences, seminars, etc. He has many publications to his credit in peer reviewed journals with notable ones in journals like The Lancet, Lancet Infectious Diseases and the BMJ. Along with the IUAES Commission on Medical Anthropology and Epidemiology, Dr. Saxena is also member of Avoidable Deaths Network of University of Leicester, UK.

Publications

1. Saxena, N., Saha, K. B., & Das, A. (2022). India at 75 years: improving tribal health for self-reliance. The Lancet, 400 (10363), 1581. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01801-3
2. Saha, K. B., Saxena, N. & Das, A. (2020). Gandhi’s vision and current health crisis: Indian Perspective. The Lancet, 396, e83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32238-8
3. Niranjan R, Saxena N, Das A. Dengue control, if not by vaccination and vector strategies, then possibly by therapeutics. Lancet Infect Diseases, 2024 Jan 17:S1473-3099(23)00782-X. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00782-X
4. Saxena, N., & Singh, S. (2022). South Africa’s Health: Traditional healers in South Africa: a parallel health care system connecting tribal healers to primary health care: A dire need to alleviate health of indigenous and tribal populations. BMJ, Available on: https://www.bmj.com/content/310/6988/1182/rr-0
5. Saxena, N., Kumar, D., & Das, A. (2021). Connecting the unconnected: the way forward for public health to reach the unreached tribal communities of India. Current Science, 120(1), 24-26.
6. Singh, S. & Saxena, N. (2023). Traditional healing practices for treatment of animal bites among tribes of India: A systematic review. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 22(3), 638-645, Doi: 10.56042/ijtk.v22i3.5752.
7. Saxena, N. & Verma, A. K. (2023). जनजातीय समाज में पारम्परिक ज्ञान (Traditional Knowledge in Tribal Society). Vigyan Pragati, 71-72 (04), 40-41 (http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/61697)
8. Saxena, S. S., & Saxena, N. Ethnography and Health Research: The Ins and Outs . (2023). In Madhulika Sahoo, S Jayavelu and Anjali Kurane (Eds.), Ethnographic Research in the Social Sciences. Routledge, UK. DOI: 10.4324/9781003392774

Gabriel Ziyambi- Social Media Manager

Gabriel Ziyambi is a PhD candidate and an associate lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. His research interests focus on Women, Peace and Security, as well as Medical Anthropology. He has held various roles in the Department of Anthropology, including Tutor, Tutor Coordinator, and Graduate Lecturing Assistant. Gabriel received the Volkswagen Stiftung Foundation Fellowship for his Master’s studies and the prestigious Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Doctoral Research Fellowship Award for his Doctoral studies. He has also participated in the IUAES Internship Program, serving as a Social Media Manager for two commissions:  Commission on Medical Anthropology and Epidemiology, and the Commission on Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Development. He has significant experience in organising and coordinating conference panels at the international level. He has served as a Panel Chair at the 2024 World Anthropological Congress, and as a Co-Chair at the 2025 World Anthropological Congress.

Kwandisa Nxumalo- Social Media Intern

Kwandisa Nxumalo is a Master’s student at Rhodes University, South Africa. Her research interests are in oral health and dental care. She also worked on medical anthropology projects that explored nutrition, hearing loss, and African traditional healing practices. Her work involves multiple applications of statistical data analysis and systematic reviews to gain a better understanding of public health concerns. She has worked as a research assistant and tutor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Rhodes. Kwandisa Nxumalo is a social media intern for the IUAES Commission of Medical Anthropology and Epidemiology, where she applies interdisciplinary knowledge to manage social media presence. She also works with the IUAES Commission on Digital Anthropology.