UPINE PUBLISHERS Traditional Medicine in Contextual African Society: On-Going Challenges (original) (raw)
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Traditional Medicine in Contextual African Society: On-Going Challenges
Open Access Journal of Oncology and Medicine
The role of traditional medicine in contextual African society cannot be overemphasized. Due to the less financial implication on the part of patients(s) patronizing the medicine to treat a particular ailment. In recent time, attention by government and relevant stakeholders in the health sectors in African tend to shift their compendium effort to improve modern health medicine, this has yielded little effort. In light of this a greater percentage of African population still resorts to traditional medicine due to the less financial implication and accessibility. Over the years, traditional African medicine seems to face some ongoing challenges. It is due to these recurring mitigating challenges that this paper intend to explore and map-out modalities to surmount the challenges. The challenges farfetched by the researcher were lack of usage of information communication technology (ICT), lack of adequate funding, lack of sufficient awareness, religion/cultural interference, unethical practices, deforestation of plant medicine. Similarly, way forwards out the challenges were map-out. It was concluded that, the possible solutions as pointed-out by the researcher if given prior attention will help to remedy the bedeviling challenges facing traditional medicine.
The Place of Traditional Medicine in the African Society: The Science, Acceptance and Support
American Journal of Health Research, 2014
Traditional medicine (TM) has been described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the surest alternative means to achieve total health care coverage of the world's population. In most African societies, traditional medicine plays an important role in the lives of millions who cannot access western medicine. In some areas, TM is part of the first set of response mechanisms for medical emergencies whilst in others the whole health system of the community is hinged on medicines rooted in local practice and belief. Although the relevance and values of TM is begining to gain recognition, African traditional medicine (ATM) still faces some challenges which underscore its scrutiny. This paper thus analyses the issue of science, acceptance and support for successful implementation of ATM and present the contemporary measures that are being taken to raise its standard to the level of western medicine.
Trends and Challenges of Traditional Medicine in Africa
African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 2011
Prior to the introduction of cosmopolitan medicine, traditional medicine used to be the dominant medical system available to millions of people in Africa in both rural and urban communities. However, the arrival of the Europeans marked a significant turning point in the history of this age-long tradition and culture. This paper examines the trends and challenges of traditional medicine in Africa. The impact of colonialism on African traditional medicine is also examined. Although the paper is on Africa, references are drawn around the world to buttress the growing demand for traditional medicine. The paper concludes that to minimise the current distrust between modern and traditional doctors and to achieve the objective of regulation, standardisation and cooperation, both traditional and modern doctors must acknowledge their areas of strengths and weaknesses from which they operate and be genuinely concerned about the difficult but necessary task of being human.
Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development, vol. 4 No.2, 2021,, 2021
Traditional Medicine has been an aged long mode of treatment. It has been in existence even before the domination of orthodox medicine particularly in Africa. Almost everybody was highly dependent on it for survival when it comes to health issue. But gradually, orthodox medicine became the order of the day putting the traditional medicine by the side. Today, the reverse is becoming the case as there are many health challenges facing orthodox medicine. Medical doctors are too few to attend to the massive population that needs them. Many orthodox medicines are too expensive and do not get to the reach of the common man. Diseases are becoming resistant to orthodox medicine. Some ailments that defy orthodox medicine such as amputations/bone settings, poison, snake bite, etc can be comfortably taking care of by the traditional medicine. However, this paper aims at bringing out its effectiveness and how to protect it from the new healthcare directives. It claims also that traditional medicine is not just an alternative mode of treatment to orthodox medicine but that it is currently a better safeguard for the progression of healthcare system in Africa since the usefulness of it has made some orthodox manufacturers to append the word "herbal" to their products due to its potency and effectiveness. Scientists are turning to traditional medicine by studying its drugs and modifying them to look modern. Since traditional medicine can no longer be avoided, this paper concludes that sooner or later, traditional medicine will not only become a better safeguard for the progression of healthcare claim but will remain the only saving grace that can save humanity from dying out.
Tropical Medicine and International Health, 1997
Traditional medicine in Africa is contrasted with biomedicine. Most traditional medical theories have a social and religious character and emphasize prevention and holistic features. Traditional medical practices are usually characterized by the healer's personal involvement, by secrecy and a reward system. Biomedical theory and practice show an almost opposite picture: asocial, irreligious, curative and organ-directed; professional detachment, public knowledge and -until recently -'free of charge'. It is suggested that local communities do not expect that basic health care will improve when traditional healers become integrated into the service. They ask instead for improvement of basic health care itself: more services with better access, more dedication and respect from doctors and nurses, more medicines and personnel. Fieldwork needs to be done at the community level to arrive at a better understanding and assessment of the community's opinion concerning a possible role of traditional medicine in basic health care.
Trends and Challenges of Traditional Medicines in Africa
Prior to the introduction of cosmopolitan medicine, traditional medicine used to be the dominant medical system available to millions of people in Africa in both rural and urban communities. However, the arrival of the Europeans marked a significant turning point in the history of this age-long tradition and culture. This paper examines the trends and challenges of traditional medicine in Africa. The impact of colonialism on African traditional medicine is also examined. Although the paper is on Africa, references are drawn around the world to buttress the growing demand for traditional medicine. The paper concludes that to minimise the current distrust between modern and traditional doctors and to achieve the objective of regulation, standardisation and cooperation, both traditional and modern doctors must acknowledge their areas of strengths and weaknesses from which they operate and be genuinely concerned about the difficult but necessary task of being human.
THE POTENCY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN A CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY: A CASE STUDY OF ILE-IFE
ABSTRACT Existing studies revealed that Traditional Medicine, which had been the major means of treating ailments in Yoruba land from the time immemorial, had suffered a lot of setbacks as a result of the current scientific development. Besides, the derogatory names given to this therapy by the educated people and the growth of hospitals, dispensaries, clinics and maternity centres had made the traditional medicine to suffer a declining patronage. Consequently, the patronage of this medicine is gradually becoming the affairs of the poor masses who could not afford the orthodox hospital bills. It is against this background that the study aimed at evaluating the potency of traditional medicine and examine its relevance to the contemporary society especially in the curing of seemingly incurable diseases. The choice of Ile-Ife as a case study was informed by the fact that Ile-Ife is the acclaimed ancestral home of the Yoruba people, it therefore represented other Yoruba communities. In order to achieve this aim, primary and secondary sources were employed in eliciting information for this work. They were manifested in the fieldwork involving in-depth interview, group discussion and observation. Interviews were conducted with various categories of people in the town. The people include: Artisans, Christians, Muslims, patients who had experience traditional healing and the herbalists themselves. About 75% of the people interviewed were of the opinion that traditional medicine is potent and still relevant to the contemporary society. The bulk of the secondary data were obtained through the use of libraries and internet materials. Through fieldwork research survey, the efficacy and potency of African traditional medicine was revealed on aliments such as hypertension, infertility, stroke and cancer which can only be managed by orthodox medicine. More importantly, it was gathered through the in-depth interview that collaborative efforts on the part of government, educated elites, etc are necessary to revive African traditional medicine. This study recommended that; to enjoy full benefit of traditional medicine, both indigenous and modern medical practitioners must respect their areas of strength and accept their areas of weaknesses. The work therefore concluded on the note that African Traditional Medicine should be recognized as one of the major solutions to health challenges. It should not be a ‘rejection’ of modernity and we should not neglect African Indigenous Medicine because orthodox Medicine is now available. Keywords: Potency, Traditional, Medicine, Orthodox, Treatment
Social Science & Medicine, 1987
Many years of ethno-medical research in Africa have increased our knowledge of different aspects of indigenous medical systems. Like any other cultural system, indigenous medical systems have been undergoing changes over the years as African countries continue to experience tremendous alterations in their ecological systems, socio-economic activities, political and cultural life. These changes have had some impact on the practice of indigenous medicine in many parts of Africa. Compared with bio-medical services, ethno-medicine is usually characterized as more available, accessible, acceptable, and adaptable. This paper seeks to draw attention to the need to re-examine these attributes as applied to ethno-medical practices in contemporary Africa in view of the present rate of social change in most African countries.
African Traditional Medicine and the Problem of Documentation
2015
The African Traditional Medicine (ATM) has come a long way coming as early as man found the need to maintain life and preserve life. The survival of African Traditional Medicine after many millennia, amid a more sophisticated and scientific orthodox medicine is a sign that it has something to offer world health. The writer x-rays the methodology, diagnoses, treatments and successes of African Traditional Medicine and discovers the weaknesses of ATM mainly in the area of documentation and scientific evidence. It is the writer's opinion that if all hands are on deck in solving the above problems of African Traditional Medicine, there will be definite improvement in world medicine and world health.