Evaluating the Integration of Traditional and Western Medicine in Rural Ghana: The Role of Healers and the Government

Authors

Teresa Nicole Lemon, University of South AlabamaFollow

Files

Description

A question of pressing importance for the healthcare system in Ghana is the integration between biomedicine, which is unreachable for many rural citizens, and traditional medicine, which fills in the gaps in access for rural and non-rural citizens seeking care and is utilized by 70% of the population. The WHO promotes integrated health systems and created strategies to assist governments in their efforts.

The Ghanaian government did create policies to aid in integration, but their attempt to integrate was unsuccessful. This, along with other factors, has led some scholars to consider the government’s efforts as “tokenistic”; however, they do not explain why.

During my investigation, I found the Ghanaian government likely did use the WHO strategies when developing their policies, most healers are in favor of an integrated healthcare system, and the government did not appear to fully consider the needs of healers and their viewpoints when creating their policies. Theoretical models were used to hypothesize that the government allowed barriers to remain during implementation as a representation of minimal efforts and a lack of political interest.

Publication Date

5-2024

City

Mobile

Disciplines

Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Anthropology | Biological and Physical Anthropology | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Anthropology | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social and Cultural Anthropology

Recommended Citation

Lemon, Teresa Nicole, "Evaluating the Integration of Traditional and Western Medicine in Rural Ghana: The Role of Healers and the Government" (2024). Poster Presentations. 8.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_posters/8