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Module 1: South African Indigenous Views on Health Reflection

ACTIVITY 1.1.3.1 Time to reflect.

I can identify with the idea that health should be approached holistically, and herbs and plants being used for healings. I think there is some truth in that. Health should be tailored to the person instead of the other way around where they are to fit into a mould, although that is useful most of the time. The use of herbs and plants is how some medicine in the west has developed and therefore I see no problem with that in traditional medicine. “Further, traditional healing encompasses treating illnesses with herbs to spiritual treatment (United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS, 2006). It is holistic in its approach and embodies the collective wisdom of indigenous knowledge handed down over many generations (Ashforth, 2005)”

What I found unusual about traditional medicine is the idea that you communicate through ancestors to find out the cause of your aliment. In my world view when someone has succumbed to their illness or has been involved in a fatal event, whether it was voluntary or not, once they are gone there is no way to contact that person as they no longer exist in your reality no matter what belief that a person subscribes to.

They are similar to my own as they don’t encourage people to stop receiving ‘western medicine’ and only receive traditional medicine. People are allowed to explore their options for alternative ways to heal, however until they find one that works even better than the medicine that they are receiving they should stick to what is work for them in ‘western medicine.’

They are different to my own health beliefs is that is “Craffert (1997) argued that illness and health care systems in any society, whether traditional or Western, are in one way or another determined by or closely connected to the culture or world-views of those societies. Every society develops its own cultural way of dealing with illnesses.” This can be true in some sense but since science has come long way and more developed there is medicine or health ideas that can be true without having to depend on culture or worldviews.

The only obstacle is the belief in ancestors.

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