Health, illness and cancer in Mayotte: Multicultural experiences in a medically underserved French Territory.

The island of Mayotte is part of the French territory and one of the European Union's Outermost Regions but there is a significant lack of data and research on health and cancers in Mayotte. This article reviews the literature on health, disease and cancer in Mayotte, from the perspectives of social science and epidemiology. It starts by shedding light on the specificities of Mahoran demography and society, and shows the healthcare infrastructure is insufficient to meet the population's needs. It then reviews social science studies on health and illness in Mayotte and shows that the political issue of migration permeates the management and the experiences of health on the island. It ends with a focus on the epidemiology of cervical cancer and a review of the available data on screening, treatment and prevention. The article concludes with a quick review of ongoing research and urgently calls for more data and research on this critical public health issue.

Health, illness and cancer in Reunion Island: Health services in a diverse but aging French territory.

The major social, cultural, economic and demographic changes in Reunion Island in the last 70 years have had effects on its population and the evolution of its public health issues. The demographic transition and changes in lifestyle have led to a rapidly aging population with increased needs for care for dependency and chronic illness such as cancers. The aim of this paper is to offer a review of the literature and ongoing research on health and cancer in Reunion Island. It reviews the recent literature on these changes, including the socio-demography of the population, the medical demography and cancer care infrastructure. It highlights the significant social inequalities of the island, and shows its medical demography and healthcare services are close to national averages. It then offers a review of publications on the experiences of health and illness in Reunion Island in a multicultural and postcolonial context, between medical pluralism and biomedicine. It then offers a focus on the epidemiology of three cancers, namely breast, cervical and prostate cancers. It concludes with a review of known ongoing research, and calls for a rapid adaptation of the organization of the medico-social system, in order to face Reunion Island's most pressing healthcare issues: chronic illnesses such as cancers, and dependency.