TRENDS AND CHALLENGES OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN AFRICA

Authors

  • Ali Arazeem Arazeem

Keywords:

Traditional medicine, challenges, Africa

Abstract

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.

Author Biography

Ali Arazeem Arazeem

Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Published

2011-04-21

How to Cite

Arazeem, A. A. (2011). TRENDS AND CHALLENGES OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN AFRICA. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 8(5S), 115–123. Retrieved from https://athmsi.org/journals/index.php/ajtcam/article/view/1323

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 5S (2011)

Section

Review

License

Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution CC.

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