The threat of water-borne parasites is a burning question for people of Borneo. For a long period of time, the inhabitants of this island have been eating exotic food and drinking water without paying attention to the possible threats and illnesses. Nowadays, people face an impressive variety of intestinal diseases. My team of public health workers has to visit this developing country and explain what kind of food they should better avoid. Not all members of my team realize how it can be difficult to refuse to eat the food that has been used for centuries. Besides, if one group of people can find fresh-water turtles and crustaceans delicious and useful, another group of people can feel disgusting in regards to such kind of food. Still, as a professional healthcare worker, I should remember the basics of cultural relativism and the level of competence and have to explain the same to my team.
I would like to underline that not all people can understand the worth of a true American hamburger or a piece of a pie that can be found at the nearest dinner as many Americans do in spite of the fact that people know about the threat of obesity. Almost the same happens to the citizens of Borneo. Even if people know the threats of food, they cannot just stop eating it. Our task is not to judge or introduce some new culture. Our goal is to show how dangerous their frequent food can be for them. We can use special medical experiments and research to demonstrate the effects of water-born parasites. People should learn the perspectives. Still, they should never be judged or misunderstood. My team has to focus on health, not culture.