Instruction
- There are 3 questions in this activity worksheet.
- Having watched the video, discussed above, take some time to read a topical paper here.
- Answer the questions below.
- Upload your completed worksheet to your Ulwazi Portfolio.
- Be sure to label the document as Activity 1.1.6 – Traditional African Medicine
Question 1 – Opportunities for Teamwork
a. THPs could play a role as part of a medical team, especially when it comes to issuing sick notes. With reference to the video, the discussion and the reading, what do you think are some of the barriers to including a traditional African health practitioner in a medical team?
The history in South Africa of Apartheid and of Colonialism caused a marginalization of traditional medicine in medical care, systems, and practice. Apartheid and colonization was mainly done by people outside of the culture of the people living in the area. This makes it hard for them to see the value in whatever health systems the native people have in place, hence the marginalization as they controlled how health systems developed in the area for a long time. Fixing the marginalization takes work and time even when colonization and apartheid are no longer on going. However, the patterns of health-seeking behavior of South African traditional medicine users are poorly studied therefore cannot be integrated into quality health systems by health intervention and policy experts.
In 2008 the Traditional Health Practioners Bill was approved by President Mbeki. Due to changes in government and as a consequence the Minister of Health, the bill has failed to be integrated into society and the health system as the incoming administration did not focus much attention on the subject. As a result that sick notes, medical aid payment to traditional healers and funding and protection of research on traditional medicine is delayed.
b. What are the missed opportunities, resulting from this exclusion?
Traditional health practitioners share similar cultural values to their patients and they are often the first point of call for healthcare for much of the population in South Africa. “THPs are considered to be cultural custodians within the African society and influence the interpretation.
of illness and mode of behavior through cultural interpretations. They can control therapy, serving as a conduit transmitting general social values, and reshaping and reinterpreting those values in the healing process.” If they are included in the health system of South Africa, with some medical training, the trust people have in the health system will increase meaning that more ailments will be treated and addressed earlier rather than delaying and it being addressed when it is at a late stage and the person is in a much worse condition.
Question 2 – How do we know what we know?
In what ways do you think that different epistemologies of healing lead to dissention and conflicts of power between different healing practices?
Different epistemologies of healing receive vary levels of resources and support by the government that is in power. This means that people who are following certain medicine practices are left out and devalued. For example, allopathic or biomedical medicine has for a long time been more valued, resourced and supported in South Africa which has caused employers and health policy makers to be detached from the values and beliefs of employees.
Out of this rises dissentions, for example employees unable to use traditional healers issued sick notes, or conflicts of power, the resources currently being allocated to traditional healers in south Africa being insignificant due to allopathic/ biomedical medical being seen as the only right way to seek medical attention.
Question 3 – Time to Reflect
Below are three probing questions to get you to think about your own positioning as a health science student. Take some time to write reflectively in response to these questions:
a) What did I learn today, that resonates with or is conflict with my prior understanding?
b) What practices in my life could be called traditional?
c) How have those traditions contributed to my epistemological position?
a. What I learnt is that the only mode of traditional medicine that is not recognized in south Africa is the one practiced by the indigenous people of South Africa. I also learned that 80% of South Africa uses traditional medicine and 90% of HIV patients first see a traditional healer before seeking allopathic medicine.
b. I don’t really have anything traditional in my day-to-day life.
c. -not applicable-
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