Miriam Castaldo

Miriam Castaldo obtained an MA and a PhD in medical anthropology from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Anthropologist at the Istituto Nazionale Salute Migrazioni e Povertà (INMP), Rome-Italy, where she deals with migration, care strategies and policies through research, teaching and the application of the tools and knowledge of medical anthropology in clinical settings. She was Visiting Professor at Université Paris 13-Laboratoire IAME, Hôpital Avicenne (2019; 2021). She has carried out a “Migration and Tuberculosis” project with IRIS and the IAME-Hôpital Avicenne Laboratory, supported by the SHS Santé platform steered by InSHS-CNRS (2022).

The project

Title: Migration et maladie de la tuberculose dans la Seine-Saint-Denis : prismes de la souffrance, savoirs de soin et interprétations de la contagion.

This project examines tuberculosis among migrant people in Île-de-France, exploring their life experiences, health conditions, and interpretations of contagion. Although France is a low-incidence country (6.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021), Île-de-France, particularly Seine-Saint-Denis, has higher rates linked to poverty and precarious living conditions. Migrants are exposed to the disease not only due to their migration journeys but also because of living conditions in France. A qualitative study, including interviews and participant observation, will analyze their migration trajectories, barriers to healthcare, and perceptions of the disease. The aim of this study is to better understand the social and health factors influencing the spread and treatment of tuberculosis in these populations.

Host institution : Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Avicenne Hospital (AP-HP), Bobigny

Selective Bibliography

Books

• Castaldo M., Segneri M.C. (Eds) (2022) Antropologhe in Cors(i)a. La professione dell’antropologo medico nella sanità pubblica italiana, Licosia Editore, Collana Contaminazioni.

Scientific articles published in international journals

• Castaldo M., Cavani A., Segneri M.C., Costanzo G., Mirisola C., Marrone R. (2020) «Anthropological study on Chagas Disease: Sociocultural construction of illness and embodiment of health barriers in Bolivian migrants in Rome, Italy», PLoS ONE 15(10): e0240831.
• Castaldo M. (2020) «Chiese cristiane cinesi e Covid-19 tra confinamenti, percezione del rischio e discriminazioni in Italia durante il lockdown», Antropologia pubblica 6(2): 2531-8799.
• Castaldo M., Tosi M. (2020) «Testimonianze cristiane e richieste di cura. Prove pratiche di negoziazione e resistenza diagnostica delle persone rifugiate cinesi», Annuario Antropologia, 8(1)
• Castaldo M., Aragona M., Schillirò M.C., Dal Secco A., Tumiati M.C., Forese A., Agrò F., Tosi M., Mirisola C. (2019) «Chinese asylum seekers fleeing religious persecution: anthropological and psychological issues in relation to pre-migration traumatic experiences and post-migration uncertainties of life in host countries», Journal of Women's Health & Safety Research 3(3): 99-110.