Traditional Healthcare Practices And Pimary Health Care Flashcards
The healing art is an all-encompassing activity ranging from the services of the orthodox medical practitioners to those of the unorthodox healers.
True or false
What does Nabofa observe in 1996
Nabofa (1996) observes that while the orthodox healers use techniques that are based upon scientific investigations and applications, the traditional healers rely on the intuitive insight and faith of both the healer and his patients, which may defy empirical and scientific verifications.
Traditional disease causation theory
Name the Two broad domains of ethnological theories that are identifiable in the ethno medical system
Naturalistic ethnologies:
•Magico- religious domain:
Explain the naturalistic ethnologies
- In this ethological theory, aliments are ascribed to causes pertaining to the empirical domain and exclude the intervention of a supernatural agent. Hence sickness may result from:
- External factors – such as a faulty interaction with the environment, e.g. drinking polluted water, eating contaminated or bad food, atmospheric charges, inhaling dusts etc
- Contagion through physical contact with a sick person e.g. Sexual relationship, inhaling a sick person’s breath, drinking from a sick person’s cup
- Interpersonal conflict, e.g. Wounds provoked by fights and wife beating
- Personal excesses, e.g. prolonged exposure to sun and rain, bathing in cold water, eating unripe crop, drinking immoderately
Explain the magico religious domain
- In this domain of etiology for a disease, illnesses are attributed to God, nature and demonic spirits, ancestral ghosts, magical forces (evil eye, curse) and breach of social taboos or personal vows.
- Violation of religious and social norms is thought to bring about divine retribution in the form of epidemics.
- Ailments such as mental illness and epilepsy are routinely attributed to the action of an evil sprit.
- The fear of evil eye and sorcery is wide spread in Ghana.
- This phenomenon is known as “be3yie” among the Akan
Many ailments are routinely explained with in as empirical framework of illness etiology and treated with curative practices, which do not involve Magico-religious rituals.
•In this domain (secular healing) various levels of specialization exists, ranging from home remedies to professional treatment.true or false
True
Self care
•Self-care by household without the use of professional healers is common throughout Ghana. Several popular remedies for different illnesses exists.
Give three examples of this
For instance, remedies for headache include coffee and lemon tea drinking, and most ethnic groups place leaves in the nostrils to treat colds.
•Rheumatism and arthritis are treated with application of hot and dry leaves on the afflicted part of the body, in some population groups.
•Several skin problems are also treated at home, for example the Sidamo apply a poultice derived from butter and leaves to scabies caused burrows
What is CAM
Define faith healing and four things it can be
•Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is the use of treatments that are not commonly practiced by the medical profession
Faith Healing
•This is the use of suggestions, power and faith in God to achieve healing. Faith healing can be
•Self-treatment through prayer.
•Treatment by a lay person thought to be able to communicate with God.
•Treatment by an official church leader for whom healing is only one of many tasks.
•Healing obtained from a person/ religious leader or group of persons who practice healing fulltime without affiliation with a major religious organization.
Name and explain six types under CAM
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic oils for relaxation.
•Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique of inserting fine needles into specific points in the body to ease pain and stimulate bodily functions.
•Homeopathy
Homeopathy is the use of micro doses of natural substances to boost immunity.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is based on the idea that diseases arise from blockages in a person‘s life force in the body and treatments like acupuncture and homeopathy are needed to restore the energy flow.
•Aryuveda
This is an Indian technique of using oil and massage to treat sleeplessness, hypertension and indigestion.
Name six categories of traditional healers
Explain what the first three do
The traditional healers can be categorized as follows:
i. the general practitioners;
ii. Oracle men/women;
iii. Bone setters
iv. Traditional birth attendants;
v. Psychiatrists;
vi. Massagers;
vii. The spiritual healers.
. The General Practitioners
•The general practitioners are healers skilled in different aspects in the management of various forms of problems in the community.
•They perform general services and they combine their knowledge of herbal medicine with their skills in divination.
ii. Oracle Men/Women
•These are healers endowed with the special skills of divination. They proffer reasons for the cause of problems
iii. Bone Setters
•These are versed in the art of “fixing” fractured bones with special reference to the hand and leg bones.
Explain what TBAs do as well as psychiatrists and name four surgical practices in traditional medicine
v. Traditional Birth Attendants
•These are mostly women who have special skills in the management and delivery of babies. They specialize in both pre-natal and post-natal services.
v. Psychiatrists
•The traditional psychiatrists skilfully manage mental problems of different types and severities.
Amputation
• Bone setting
•Circumcision
•Eye-brow cutting
Name four traditional practices in traditional medicine
Name four reasons the community uses traditional medicine
Bathing in thermal water
•Placing magical devices (like iron, amulet, etc.)
•Avoiding members from atresians
•Slaughtering of sacrificed animals.
Lack of awareness
•Inaccessibility of modern medicine
•Low economy
•Low satisfaction in health personnel
Name five agencies that report directly to the minister of healt
Ghana health service Teaching hospitals Centre for plant medicine research Food and drugs authority Medical and dental council Pharmacy council Psychology council Nursing and midwifery council
What is PHC(primary health care)
it forms an integral part of the country’s health system and the over all social and economic development of the country
•it is the first level of contact of individuals the family and the community with the national health system bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work. True or false
essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their bdevelopment in the spirit of self reliance and self–determination
What is the history of primary health care
The New approach of PHC (Alma-Ata, Kazakiston international conference on PHC, 1978)
•It was declared that PHC is the key to the attainment by all people of the world by the year 2000 of a level of health that will permit them to head socially and economically productive life
State and explain the philosophies of PHC
Equity and justice
- equitable distribution of services, resources, health care
- if all cannot be served, priority for these in need individual and community
self– reliance
- personal responsibility for their own and their families health
Inter – relationship of health and development
- Development is a multi-dimensional process involving changes in structure, attitude, and institutions as well as the acceleration of economic growth, reduction of in equity and eradication of absolute poverty.
- Better health among adults means a bigger and better work force leads to increased productivity, on the other hand, a developed nations can provide a better health service for its citizens
