Role of Traditional Medicine: It’s Benefit and Challenges
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To find out the benefit of traditional medicine.
- To find out the challenges of traditional medicine.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
NAUCLEA LATIFOLIA
Nauclea latifolia is a straggling evergreen, multistemmed shrub or small tree which is native to tropical Africa and Asia. The fruits serve as a key source of food for the baboons, livestock, reptives birds and man. It is called “African quinine” in northern Nigeria. The Fulanis in Nigeria use the leaf extract to regularly deworm animals (Adebowale, 1993). Parts of the plant are commonly prescribed traditionally as a remedy for diabetes mellitus. The plant is also used in the treatment of ailments like malaria(Kokwaro, 1976), gastrointestinal tract disorders (Maduabunyi, 1995), sleeping sickness(Kerharo,1994), prolong menstral flow( Elujoba, 1995),hypertension(Akabue and Mittal, 1982) and as a chewing stick(Asubiojo et al., 1982).
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
latifolia is a straggling shrub or small spreading tree. It is a small deciduous soft-wooded tree with corky bark. The tree was up to 7.6m high with a large broad leaf of about 15 – 20cm. N. latifolia belongs to the family of Rubiaceae, the family that consists of 150 genic and 350species of deciduous tree. It is easily identified by its compound broadleaves.
It bears an interesting flower, a large red ball with long projecting stamens. The fruit is red, edible, but not appealing.
ORIGIN
It is a plant of the family, rubiaceae native to savannah and fringe tropical forest of west Africa (Irvine, 1961). It is wide spread in the humid and tropical rain-forests or in savannah woodlands of west and central Africa.
TAXONOMY
Kingdom: plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Euphyllophyhna
Class: Angiospermae
Subclass: Dicotyledon
Order: Rubiales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genrs : Nauclea
Species: Latifolia
Common names
English: pin cushiontree
Igbo: Uburu inu
Yoruba: egbesi
Hausa: tabasiya
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine role of traditional medicine: the benefits and the challenges. People of Idemili local government of Anambra state form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
TEST OF HYPOTHESIS
H1: there are no benefits of traditional medicine
H2: there are no challenges of traditional medicine
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain role of traditional medicine: the benefits and challenges. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of role of traditional medicine: the benefits and challenges.
Summary
This study was on role of traditional medicine: the benefits and challenges. Three objectives were raised which included; To find out the benefit of traditional medicine and to find out the challenges of traditional medicine. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from people of Idimili local government of Anambra state. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The paper argues that traditional medical system used to be the dominant health care system in Africa prior to the period of colonialism. To some extent, colonialism, Western religion and education as well as globalisation phenomenon have negatively affected the perception about TM in Africa, usually among the educated elites. This notwithstanding, the demand for and use of TM have continued to grow not only in Africa but indeed the entire world. Recent studies in health care seeking behaviour, therefore, are increasingly coming to a realisation that traditional practitioners are important players in healing processes especially in developing countries (Hausmann-Muela et al. 2003). Indeed, there are evidences to show that traditional healers have contributed to promoting positive health behaviour and serve as a good referral point to modern health care system. For instance, Osowole et al. (2005) argue that more than 50% of the traditional healers they studied referred patients at least once to modern health facilities for further treatment. Indeed, traditional healers can provide a lead to scientific breakthrough in modern medicine. Ratzan (2000: 41) notes that the non-Western medicine can provide important links between disease and behaviour as well as effective treatment not found in the Western medicine.
Recommendation
Therefore, there is the need for the political will on the part of African leaders to pay serious attention to global trends in TM discourses for the benefit of all and sundry. This would require that both traditional and modern doctors acknowledge their areas of strengths and weaknesses from which they operate and to be genuinely concerned about the difficult but necessary task of being human in order to minimise the current distrust and the perceived paranoid between modern and traditional doctors. There is also an urgent need for appropriate legal frameworks to checkmate the quacks and charlatans in the practice of TM, though such legal frameworks are beginning to unfold in some African countries. It is only when these are genuinely pursued that the objective of regulation, rebranding and standardisation of TM products as well as the proposed cooperation between traditional and modern medicines can be accomplished for the benefit of millions of people who depend on TM in Africa.
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