Conducted jointly by UCAD, this research sheds light on the lived experiences of hospitalized children in Dakar.
The Essentials: Conducted jointly by UCAD, this research sheds light on the lived experiences of hospitalized children in Dakar.
Akiko Ida (Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar [Sénégal]).
Thesis defended in 2016.
This research is the product of an international joint supervision (cotutelle) between several partner institutions.
Akiko Ida's thesis, "The Lived Experiences of Hospitalized Children in Dakar," offers an ethnographic deep dive into the realities faced by sick children in Dakar's pediatric wards. At a time when child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa remains extremely high, it is imperative to pay attention to the often-ignored voices of young patients. This research, the product of a Franco-African joint supervision, analyzes the experience of hospitalized children not only through their suffering, but also through their social interactions and their perceptions of illness.
The study's findings reveal complex dynamics. Hospitalization decisions are often shaped by financial and social factors. Parents seeking care for their children find themselves juggling limited resources and therapeutic pathways, sometimes including traditional healers. This finding raises questions about access to health care in Africa, where poverty remains a major obstacle to accessing needed treatment, including palliative care and pain relief.
Another crucial point addressed in this thesis is the way doctors disclose a cancer diagnosis. Reluctance to communicate this type of information to parents reflects a hospital culture in which a child's death is perceived as a failure. This raises questions about the quality of communication between caregivers and families, and about the importance of open dialogue in improving care for sick children.
Testimonies from the children, gathered through interviews and creative activities, highlight their autonomy and their capacity to reflect on their own experience. Despite their suffering, these young patients manage to form friendships and expand their social networks, transforming the hospital into a living space enriched with new meaning. This dynamic underscores the importance of treating children as full-fledged social actors, capable of shaping their environment even in situations of vulnerability.
The anthropology of childhood, as this research demonstrates, plays a fundamental role in shaping public health policy. By giving hospitalized children a voice, it makes it possible to rethink care approaches and improve the quality of life of young patients. Policymakers must take these perspectives into account to design strategies that meet the real needs of sick children and their families. Ultimately, it is crucial to reassess priorities in child health in Africa by integrating children's lived experiences into public health policy.
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Sources and Access
Akiko Ida. Les vécus de l’enfant hospitalisé à Dakar. Une analyse ethnographique des paroles et des interactions dans quelques services de pédiatrie à Dakar. Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie. École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS); Centre Norbert Elias; UMR 8562, 2016. Français. ⟨NNT : ⟩. ⟨tel-01649559⟩