Right now at work we are exploring ways to reduce ‘vaccine hesitancy’ and improve public health communication regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Looking at cultural norms and being sensitive to them plays a big role in that—distrust, rumour, skepticism, alternative models of health/wellness, etc. are all factors we have to consider when we try and answer the question: ‘How can we improve communities’ health outcomes in the face of a pandemic?’ Understanding culture isn’t just analytically useful—it’s also an immense resource. People are more likely to get vaccinated when they see influential people in their communities like pastors and village elders receive vaccines. Another salient example is addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenges in a community. If we want to get a baseline assessment of what conditions are like, we have to structure questionnaires in a way that don’t violate certain taboos on discussing defecation practices or menstruation. We formulate ways to still gather the relevant information without causing distress. It isn’t easy, but anthropological training can help you go a long way in building trust."