“Making One’s Own Doctor” :“ Épicerie medicine ” and the Informal Circulation of Antibiotics in Northern Madagascar
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: People in Madagascar often resort to small grocery kiosks (épicerie) for various Western medicines including antibiotics – they call the practice “magnano docteur tegna” (“making one’s own doctor”). Creating an unregulated antibiotic market, the practice is detrimental to the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This article explores the informal circulation of antibiotics in northern Madagascar and the local patterns of antibiotic use. I argue that the lack of healthcare coverage is the key reason for improvised health solutions. There is a discrepancy between the long-term threat of AMR and the most urgent need of people living in precarity.
Source: Medical Anthropology
Author: Mingyuan Zhang Betancourt
Institution: University of Oslo
Language: English
Subfield: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Award: G7469984902
OpenAlex ID: W7153470410