Research on Traditional Healing Practices in Africa

This discussion post examines traditional healing practices in Africa, focusing on the use of medicinal plants and the influence of cultural beliefs. It references research on the topic, including studies on the practices of traditional healers in Tanzania and Zambia. The post highlights the significance of herbal medicines and the integration of spiritual healing, alongside physical treatments. It discusses the economic and social factors that shape healthcare choices in rural communities. The post also considers the intersection of traditional medicine with biomedicine and Christianity, and the challenges faced by traditional healers. The conclusion emphasizes the need for further research to understand the effectiveness of herbal medicines and to foster a better understanding of their therapeutic activities. The assignment underscores the complex relationship between culture, health, and tradition in Africa.

RUNNING HEAD: TRADITINAL HEALING PPRACTICES IN AFRICA
African Healing Tradition
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TRADITINAL HEALING PPRACTICES IN AFRICA
Discussion:
Researches on the healing practices of various regions are an indicator of the level of
consciousness and their perceived notions towards various natural effects. African traditional
healthcare makes an extensive use of the medicinal plants as their fundamental ways of healing
common diseases. It has been found out by the researchers that in the various parts of rural
Africa, the healers often prescribes such medical plants that are easily accessible to them and are
affordable for the people who are economically marginalised. Mika Vahankangas researched
about Tanzanian Ambilikile Mwasapila aka Babu wa Loliondo, a retired Lutheran countryside
pastor who claimed to knew the uses and benefits of several medicinal plants (Vähäkangas,
2015). With his growing popularity as a result of patients being healed successfully, he became
a well known figure in Media and the Bishops were also in favour of him. With the quest of
cultivating the truth, Mika researched further and came to knew this magical power of the man
was vanished after the death of many HIV patient in the area. The biodiversity of Africa offers
an optimum number of unknown plans that may have some medicinal values. According the
researchers, the economic condition of the rural Tanzanians had forced them to apply those in the
hour of maladies. Such practices may have been transferred from generations to generations
where in the personal assumptions and beliefs have taken a turn of faith.
Rebecca Mersland researched on the traditional beliefs of the people of rural Africa
regarding the usage of the biomedicines and the medicinal plants (Marsland, 2007). The local
people according to Rebecca have developed the view that the treatment using medicine is
modern approach and that the usage of the medicinal healing plants are traditional approach.
Framing their practices in terms of competition for business between both mission medicine and

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government-employed biomedical practitioners, the healers worked to reposition themselves
within this 'modern ' and moral space by emphasising the similarities between their own
medicines and biomedical pharmaceutical. This has led the healers to justify their imagined
medical knowledge. this healthcare service is thus, totally based on the beliefs, attitude,
knowledge and the background prevelant among the Zambian communities (Sugishit, 2009).
Several other researches have been published regarding the healing practices of Africa.
One of the most interesting fact that came out in these researches that the phenomenon of illness
is considered by the people of Africa both as a natural as well as supernatural happenings. Thus,
it requires not only physical healing but spiritual healing s well.
Conclusion:
The researches done on the healing practices of Africa shed light on the cultural beliefs
and values of people in the area. This is also a significant pointer towards the socio economic
condition that has paved the way for corruptions. The cultural beliefs have led the people to put
faith on divination, animal sacrifices and incarnations. It is thus easily understandable why the
people of the community hold the medicinal herbal plants to be the core stone of their health.
Some parts also have belief on the minerals found in that area as well as the animal parts. Thus,
it can be said that the traditional beliefs and creating market based on the belifs are done based
on the available reseources, which marks the vagueness of the system. there is however, no
denial of the fact that the herbal medicines are effective, for people are healing from the
application of the medicinal plants which is not a miracle. But proper research on these and the
fostering of better understanding of the therapeutic activities needs to be done.

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Reference List:
Marsland, R. (2007). The modern traditional healer: Locating ‘hybridity’in modern traditional
medicine, southern Tanzania. Journal of Southern African Studies, 33(4), 751-765.
Sugishita, Kaori. "Traditional medicine, biomedicine and christianity in modern Zambia." Africa
79.3 (2009): 435-454.
Vähäkangas, M. (2015). Babu wa Loliondo—Healing the Tensions between Tanzanian Worlds.
Journal of Religion in Africa, 45(1), 3-36.