infectious-diseases-2016_posters-accepted-abstracts

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Volume 4, Issue 4(Suppl) J Infect Dis Ther 2016
ISSN: 2332-0877, JIDT an open access journal
Page 101
Notes:
Infectious Diseases 2016
August 24-26, 2016
conferenceseries.com
August 24-26, 2016 Philadelphia, USA
&
Infectious DiseasesJoint Event on 2nd World Congress on
Pediatric Care & Pediatric Infectious Diseases
International Conference on
Gender dynamics and socio-cultural determinants of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia
Muhanad Ali
University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a severe viral respiratory illness that is caused by a new strain from the beta group
of coronavirus (CoV). At both the global and national level within Saudi Arabia, men are at a greater risk of contracting the
virus (68%) in comparison to women, which fosters an interesting question: What accounts for these gender based differences in
the MERS infection rates between men and women? This study seeks to challenge the assumption that biological differences in
vulnerability (genetic disposition) are the primary drivers for the disparate male infection rates and shift towards a framework of
analysis that embraces the unique dynamics of gender roles. To demonstrate this analytical framework, this paper will consider
several gender based risk factors such as gender segregation, religious and cultural practices and social roles pertaining to livestock
management within Saudi Arabia. The literature review examined for this study found that gender based risk factors (gender
segregation, religious and cultural practice and social roles pertaining livestock management) may lead to varying rates of exposure
to MERS-CoV. Moreover, it illustrated a gap in our current knowledge and understanding of how gender dynamics affect infectious
diseases, especially concerning the issue of containment of and protection from MERS.
Biography
Muhanad Ali is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Health Science, Critical Development Studies and Anthropology from the University of Toronto Scarborough
Campus. His focus is on how factors such as colonialism, globalization and socio-cultural or even socio-ecological factors play into the origin, maintenance and emergence
of old and new infectious diseases. He is currently the Co-Director for the University of Toronto International Health Program (UTIHP-UTSC) and serves as YHAN (Youth
Health Action Network) Member for the City of Toronto Public Health in Toronto, Canada.
Muhanad Ali, J Infect Dis Ther 2016, 4:4(Suppl)