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KMID : 1140620160060020007
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CellMed
2016 Volume.6 No. 2 p.7 ~ p.7
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Traditional healers in Ghana: So near to the people, yet so far away from basic health care system
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Barimah Kofi Bobi
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Abstract
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Traditional healers in Ghana are so near to the health needs and aspirations of the majority of people who live mostly in the rural areas, yet have been excluded from the formal health care delivery system. Medical systems in Africa and around the globe have broad-ranging ties to the cosmology and the way of life of a people. However, in Ghana, colonialism and external orientation have had a negative influence on Traditional Medicine (TRM). Thus, in Ghana, Traditional healers can be described as a marginalized group and yet their roles in effective delivery of primary and mental health care cannot be overemphasized. This paper elucidates advocacy work toward medical pluralism in Ghana. First, the influence of colonialism on TRM is briefly examined, followed by highlights on advocacy work intended to include TRM in the health care system. Based on "small wins", challenges, successes, and prospects of our advocacy are discussed.
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KEYWORD
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traditional medicine, traditional healers, advocacy, complementary/alternative medicine
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FullTexts / Linksout information
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