Cause and Effect of Cultural Burial Ceremonies

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Cultural burial ceremonies have many lasting effects for those still living. During these rituals for closure and acceptance, specific ceremonies have larger impacts on society. With today's examples of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, overpopulation of graveyards in Manila, and it's contribution to the grief process, they way the dearly departed are sent off leaves a lasting effect on all. Ebola remains a rapidly growing epidemic in West Africa that has taken the lives of approximately six thousand and infects a total of sixteen thousand around the continent. A growing concern on the epidemic and within the anthropological community remains to be the fashion in which the population disposes of their dead. The World Health Organization has released a safe burial resource that helps to alleviate the spread of the disease through the burial and transportation of the diseased deceased. This resource includes the guidelines for the appropriate procedure to prepare, transport and bury the body with heavy emphasis on informing the local population on how the spread of the disease is increased with the culture's current burial practice. The World Health Organization or WHO have stated "Be aware of the family’s cultural practices and religious beliefs. Help the family understand why some practices cannot be done because they place the family or others at risk for exposure.(WHO)" Changing a cultural belief and a tradition proves to be challenging as the populations in West Africa have obtained a negative paradigm of the medical officials; beginning to mistrust Western medicine and the way it treats their deceased. The effects of the burial ceremonies preferred by the local population has dramatically increased the spread of Ebola and it remains critical that the culture is informed of the proper way to dispose of the deceased. Burial ceremonies are so frequent and

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