School of Medicine, Centro Escolar University, Manila, Philippines.
Int J Health Plann Manage. 2021 Sep;36(5):1943-1946. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3191. Epub 2021 May 12.
Bhutan has been commended for their COVID-19 vaccination campaign, in which the country became the fastest in the world to inoculate nearly all of its adult population in just a few weeks. As a profoundly religious Buddhist kingdom in South Asia, the country successfully utilized a very unique strategy in promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance nationwide. Bhutan incorporated religion, culture, and tradition in their campaign wherein the royal government collaborated with the Zhung Dratsang, the country's central monastic body, in deciding the most auspicious day for the launch of their vaccination rollout by avoiding the one-month long Dana, selecting the first person to be vaccinated in accordance to the Buddhist astrology, and leading the country in chanting the Sangay Menlha, a mantra believed by many as a powerful prayer in warding off diseases. The launch turned out as a feast for all Bhutanese since it seemingly marked the beginning of the last phase of their COVID-19 struggle. Incorporating medical anthropology in public health approaches can greatly influence the public, especially when the people are deeply rooted in folk beliefs. This unique strategy can be emulated by many localities with strong influence of cultural traditions and folk beliefs.
不丹因其 COVID-19 疫苗接种运动而受到称赞，在几周内，该国成为全球最快为几乎所有成年人口接种疫苗的国家。作为南亚一个笃信佛教的王国，该国成功地在全国范围内推广 COVID-19 疫苗接种方面采用了非常独特的策略。不丹在其疫苗接种运动中融入了宗教、文化和传统，王室政府与该国的中央寺院机构——宗萨合作，通过避免长达一个月的丹纳日（dana）来选择疫苗接种启动的最吉祥日，根据佛教占星术选择第一个接种疫苗的人，并引领全国诵经 sangay menlha，许多人认为这是一种强大的祈祷，可以抵御疾病。这次发布会对所有不丹人来说都是一场盛宴，因为它似乎标志着该国抗击 COVID-19 的最后阶段的开始。将医学人类学纳入公共卫生方法可以极大地影响公众，尤其是当人们深深扎根于民间信仰时。许多具有浓厚文化传统和民间信仰影响的地方都可以效仿这种独特的策略。
