ANTH 1120 Critical Reading Response: Traditional Medicines in Tanzania

This report analyzes Rebecca Marsland's article, "The modern traditional healer: Locating ‘hybridity’ in modern traditional medicine, southern Tanzania," focusing on the use of traditional medicines in the Kyela District of Tanzania. The report examines the practices of traditional healers (Waganga), their integration with modern biomedical practices, and the socio-economic factors influencing medicine usage. The article discusses the intentional hybridity of traditional healing techniques, the competition between traditional and biomedical practitioners, and the influence of government policies and alternative medical practices. The author highlights the beliefs and practices associated with the region, the societal and religious discriminations in the field of bio-medics, and the business-oriented approaches of the waganga culture. The report evaluates the author's assessment of the dualism of biomedicines and the transition of usage of traditional medicines and conservations of the healers, the psychological aspects of traditional medicines, and the competition between traditional and modern clinical practices. The report concludes that the article provides insights into the cultural and clinical issues related to the Tanzanian people and the potential changes in traditional medicines to produce hybrid medicines.

Running Head: Traditional Medicine
Traditional Medicines in Tanzania
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

1Traditional Medicines in Tanzania
Background
The assignment is based on the article- “The modern traditional healer: Locating
‘hybridity’ in modern traditional medicine, southern Tanzania”, which is written by Rebecca
Marsland. The author is senior lecturer in the University of Edinburgh. The article was
published by Taylor & Francis, Ltd. With the collaboration of JSTOR and the article can be
accessed to Journal of Southern African Studies.
Summary of the article
The article is based on the use of traditional medicines in the treatment of patient in
southern Tanzania of Arica. Usage of the traditional healer and the modernisation of those
medicines and the applications of the medications among the patient population have been
addressed in the article . The article also focuses on the socio economic factor regarding
usage and application of medication. The research for this article has been done in the Kyela
District of South Tanzania. The article has discussed about the intentional hybridity and all
variety of technique for indigenous healing techniques. The medicinal practices with the
related boundary and limitations have been analysed in the article with different practical
instances. The article has also discussed about competition of traditional healers with the
government acclaimed biomedical practitioners and missionary medicines. Initiatives of local
governments and the policies introduced by the government to reduce the practice of
witchcraft related illness have been considered in the article. The alternative medicines of
Chinese tradition and Islamic beliefs have been discussed with the reference of African
socialism and medicinal dualism in the context of South Tanzania. The political and
ideological agendas to retain the tradition can be observed over 40 years in African
society .This article mostly focuses on Waganga population in the Eastern Region of Africa.

2Traditional Medicines in Tanzania
Beliefs and practices associated with the region are occupied a major part of this article. The
researcher took interview of different patients and clinicians from both traditional and
modern medicinal field of expertise. Every responses (which are mentioned in article) has
reflected different social and psychological beliefs of the people of Kyle district. They
consider traditional medicines as the best way of treatment and in this entire article,
importance of modern medicines have been discussed compared to the other medical
practices in South Tanzania. The author conducted the research in Kyela with the help of
members of CHAWATIATA- a national organisation of traditional healers. They organised a
drama which helped the author to understand the culture of waganga people. This research
shows that declined condition of health sector of Kyela. Cultural activity and social factors
are some determinants for clinical service. Traditional thoughts discriminates medical
systems in two ways such as modernity and traditional. In the Tanzanian society, Christianity
is directly related to the modern biomedical implementation among the population of South
Tanzania. Societal and religious discriminations in the field of bio-medics have been
highlighted. Business oriented approach for the biomedical and clinical implementations of
the practitioners of waganga has been described in the article (p. 754). Business-oriented and
commercial improvisations are prevalent among the waganga culture. They showed interests
to learn new techniques and approaches related to the modern biomedical technologies.
Evaluation of the article
The purpose of the author was to assess to dualism of biomedicines and transition of
usage of traditional medicines and conservations of the healers and destabilisation of the
boundaries. The intentional hybridity of traditional medicines with modernised techniques
increase the possibility and acceptance of medicines in treating the patients. The researcher
aims to determine the current health and medical state of the patients from waganga
population with reference of “modernisation theory’’ and socialism of Africa (p. 753 ).

3Traditional Medicines in Tanzania
Author has described that the relationship between the physician of modern bio medics and
the believers of traditional medical treatment is poor as the practitioners of the modern
biomedical aspects do not consider the practices performed by the waganga as a standard
medical treatment. The author has shown that the access of modern treatment among the
people of Kyela is very low compared to the traditional medical practices(). The author has
evaluated psychological aspect of traditional medicines among the people. As per the article,
the traditional practitioners also beliefs in the witchcraft treatment in context of curing
different diseases for example they consider the condition of malaria as an effect of
witchcraft. The take help of this psychological aspects for increasing their business. However
the author highlighted that mila (tradition) of witch-crafting is opposed by the traditional
practitioners as they are extremely concerned about rate of mortality(p. 755). This
contradicts the Maia Green's recent work on witchcraft suppression in Tanzania (p. 761). The
wealthy people are regarded as the contributor of the traditional medical practice and bylaws
of CHAWATIATA in Kyela for betterment of health in the population. As per the author, the
waganga collect the medicines from the LivingStone Mountain which is far from Kyelar
town (p. 761). The practitioners of waganga marginalised the government policies as they
want to project them as the central position holder in traditional medical practices. Initiatives
in funding for HIV/AIDS among the population has been addressed by author as a positive
gesture towards the care provision. Tanzanians are affected by inadequate resources for
treatment and try to maintain their authority in traditional treatment (p. 763).
The article will help any common people to understand clinical issues related to the
Tanzanian people and their culture. Author has successfully described the contrast between
modernity and traditional clinical services along with the potential changes in the traditional
medicines to produce hybrid medicines which might be more effective for treating patients.
The hybrid medicines and the approach of traditional practitioners towards learning modern

4Traditional Medicines in Tanzania
medical treatments describes maintenance of the boundaries for traditional medical treatment
and moral superiority among the population.
The author has expressed that competition among traditional and modern clinical practices
will help to remove the boundaries for hybridity of the medicines among the modern clients.
The discriminations and prejudices are also briefly discussed with lucid language in this
article. The article not only focuses on effectiveness of traditional medicines of waganga but
also the relatedness and similarity with Chinese and Islamic traditional medical practices.

5Traditional Medicines in Tanzania
References
Marsland, R. (2007). The modern traditional healer: Locating ‘hybridity’in modern
traditional medicine, southern Tanzania. Journal of Southern African Studies, 33(4), 751-765.