Sankara-miji, Chiwon Kashi, Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA)
Sankara-miji,
Chiwon Kashi, Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA),
a Holistic Health
and Traditional Medicines Approach.
Walid S. Moukarim IPHM
A presentation at the Maidunama Foundation
Sickle Cell Day One Day Seminar,
21st June 2018
“Sickle cell anaemia is not a curse nor
is it a punishment, it is a challenge and a path to great blessings and rewards
” (W. S. Moukarim 2018)
Treating ourselves or relatives when afflicted with an ailment is a
necessity, it is thus wise we seek information on the various choices of health
care available, with a view to objectively understand their pros and cons, and
thus be in a position make an informed choice in seeking health, wellness and
good health care.
The light here is on African Traditional Medicines, be it Islamic,
Christian, or Traditional Culture Based. These all have a holistic approach to
health care as a core aspect of health and wellness.
History has shown African traditional medicine is the oldest and
perhaps the most assorted and richest of all therapeutic systems.
Africa and indeed Nigeria is seen to be abundant with a rich
biological and cultural diversity marked by regional differences in healing
practices, from religious and faith based to the yet unexplainable but
workable.
African traditional medicine in its varied forms is holistic,
involving the body, the mind, spirituality and the environment.
The African traditional healer typically diagnoses and treats the
psychological basis of an illness before prescribing medicines, be them
spiritual or physical, tropical or oral, to not only treat the symptoms but the
cause inclusive, with a view to restoring the patient to good health and
healing.
African Traditional medicine practitioners
focus on taking the whole person into account when they carry out their diagnosis,
so you can find questions that seem far off center in their bid to trace source
of ailment, this is centered in the belief and knowledge that optimal wellness
is created when the unique needs of each and every person are looked at in
depth.
In our traditional
healers we find a holistic health approach that digs deep to find the root
causes of health problems you might be having, while having a clear
understanding of how interwoven and inseparable the various elements of health
are (e.g. physical, mental, spiritual).
While Treating
patients, traditional healers
offer information, counselling, treatment to patients and their families in a
personal manner while having at the fore an understanding of their patient’s
environment, cultural and religious needs.
It is important to note
that in African Traditional medicine as in Islamic and other traditional
medicines, sickness is not limited to the physical body, but is seen as
anything that affects the balance of harmony in the mind, body, soul and
emotions, and sees medicine as anything that resolves the issue or worry.
Traditional medicine thus defined as “the sum total of knowledge,
skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences
indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as
to prevent, diagnose, improve, or treat physical and mental illnesses” [WHO].
Traditional medicine that has been adopted by other populations
(outside its indigenous culture) is often termed complementary or alternative
medicine (CAM) [WHO]
These might include
things like acupuncture, herbalism, prayer or naturopathy to name a few,
depending on the healer’s inclination.
This brings us to the
ailment called sickle cell anemia, a name coined in 1922 to an ailment known as
Abiku, Sankara-miji, Ciwon Sanyi mai kanjiki, Chiwon kashi, Obanje and other
names in Nigeria and other parts of Africa for as far back as centuries
unrecorded.
Sickle cell anemia is
classified as a syndrome in African Traditional Medicine and Not a disease as
it is call now in allopathic medicine, it is however one ailment that has been
diagnosed from being spiritual to just another ailment.
In diagnosis, the
African traditional herbalist looks at it from its temperament and classifies
it as chiwon sanyi, being that the parts of the body it affects are primarily
of cold temperament, the bone, the marrow which are controlled by the kidney
which itself is of cold temperament. More so that it is characterized by poor
bone development and blood crisis of heat type.
We should understand
that the diagnostic approach of the traditional health practice be it African,
Unani (Islamic), Ayurvedic (Indian) or Chinese varies from that of allopathic
medicine, just as is their understanding and classification of the body.
The key points in this
case is diagnosis through the assessment of the ear, tongue, eyes, nails,
physical observation and history, where you find black coating of the tongue,
white eye lids, blue nails and sometimes abdominal disorder and fever being
characteristic of Sankara miji.
The Traditional medicine understanding of the human body is
completely different from that of the allopathic medicine, the concept of hot
or cold temperament, dry and damp temperaments of the core organs come to play
and tell the whole story, where there is an imbalance of heat and cold,
sickness comes in, and is treated with items and methods that complement the
temperament of the ailment and parts of the body affected.
Based on findings
passed over generations there are claims of successful treatments of cases of
chiwon kashi, chiwon kanjiki, sankara jimi or sickle cell anemia as you chose
to call it. Though undocumented the stories are many, giving more than enough
reasons for the research institutions of the federal ministry of health and
universities to take an interest, with a view to developing a cure.
In African traditional
medicine chiwin kanjiki mai dabiyan sanyi (SCA) is classified as a sickness
caused by destiny and genetics, and traditionally its prevention has been
assessment of family history over generation and now with the genotype test
where available.
Managing SCA
The first thing is to
understand that you the patient and the care giver (here the parent) that you
are not cursed nor are you being punished, here faith and belief come to play,
for everyone has his or her challenge SCA is yours.
Also keep in mind while
managing the pains associated with SCA that there is a cure out there, we might
not fully have it yet but it is there.
In Unani (Islamic)
Medicine it is believed and assumed that for every diesis there is a cure, you
either know it or you don’t.
Environmental care is
an important aspect in the management of SCA patients, exposure to cold
environments and drinks should be avoided.
The patient diet should
include, vegetables and fruits, grains with high lipids like gero, for protein
give fish and avoid chicken and beef, Miyan Zogale (Moringa), Oha soup, ugu
soup, bitter leaf soup, tuwon dawa, patten tsaki with alifo or other leaf, karkashi,
alaifo, carrot juice and salads standing out.
The use of traditional
spices and taste enhancers in foods should be encouraged over use of artificial
ones.
The use of special
herbs that encourage blood production and boost immunity and in times crisis,
herbs to manage the pain, reduce the crisis to the barest minimum with
traditional pain massage using essential tree oils and man shanu.
Treatment
There are two approach of treatment to sankara miji, one is
permanent and the other palliative, where in the curative treatment traditional
herbal medicine are administered for a period of six to eight months, and we
have oral records of full recovery with no transmission to children.
Where by the palliative treatment would reduce the crisis or even
stop them, however the person remains a carrier.
Traditional Herbal medicines are concoctions that include herbs,
herbal materials, herbal preparations, and finished herbal products that
contain parts of plants or other plant materials as active ingredients.
In preparation of herbal
medicines, most times freshly picked herbs and condiments are used and given in
various forms, from ground powder to liquids to those that are cooked or even
raw. The traditional herbalist with his or her years of experience asses the
patient and prescribe (put together) the relevant herbs and instruct on method
of administration and dosage.
The Traditional
Medicine Practitioner is a doctor, a pharmacist, a nurse and a counsellor all
rolled in one.
Use of Whole
Plants- Herbalists generally use plant
extracts containing several different constituents. It is claimed that these
can work together synergistically so that the effect of the whole herb is
greater than the summed effects of its components. It is also claimed that
toxicity is reduced when whole herbs are used instead of isolated active
ingredients (“buffering”). Although two samples of a particular herbal drug may
contain constituent compounds in different proportions, practitioners claim
that this does not generally cause clinical problems. There is some
experimental evidence for synergy and buffering in certain whole plant
preparations, but how far this is applicable to all herbal products is not
known (Vickers and Zollman, 1999).
Some of the herbs and
tree parts used for the treatment of Sankara-Miji [or SCA] include but are not
limited to;
Saiwar Marke, Saiwar
Gatsari, Kanamfari, Citta, Kuka, Saiwar Kaba, Otuta,
Some of these are found
as constituents of packaged herbal medications for SCA like Niprisan or Ciklavit. It is of interest
to know that Niprisan has been cleared for phase 3 clinicals by the FDA in the
United States of America, and before we celebrate that a drug developed in
Nigeria has gone so far, we should observe some minutes of shame that we could
not do same here and have it manufactured here by Nigerian companies.
There have been good
reports from both patients and traditional herbalists on success recorded from
feedback of their patients. These reports include tolerance to the medication,
with no side effects recorded and no toxicity to patients, and these reports
span over hundreds of years.
From those who have
been able be crises free for 6 to 8 months from one treatment to those who lay
claim to their patients being cured.
There is a strong need
to keep records of success (or failure) of traditional medicines used by
patients for various ailments, with SCA the doctors more times than not, have
patients whose conditions have been improved by the use of herbal medicine,
document this, carry out relevant tests and share this. It will be of
significant impact on our overall health care deliver, one we can tag the
Nigerian Medicine or Medical Approach
I know that the Islamic
and Prophetic Medicines Association of Nigeria Kaduna Chapter has been working
to through its members keep a clinical data base for all ailments treated.
The world today is
turning to herbal and holistic health, this so evident in the need seen by the
WHO to set up the Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, based on the World
Health Assembly resolution on traditional medicine (WHA62.13)
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 80% of the
emerging world’s population relies on traditional medicine for therapy. During
the past decades, the developed world has also witnessed an ascending trend in
the utilization of CAM, particularly herbal remedies.
The holistic health care givers have their ways of bringing peace,
harmony and good health within their societies, some of their methods “modern
science” is just beginning to understand.
Ongoing research has shown how many ailments once thought by
allopathic medicine to have no cure, have been treated successfully by use of
herbal medicines. With claim of successful cures to Cancer, HIV, Malaria,
Typhoid and a host of other ailments.
In conclusion, we need to look inward to develop our traditional
health care system, we so many treasures left untapped by our scientist,
medical breakthroughs that could revolutionise health care in the world, and
have the world coming to us and other than us seeking the traditional medicines
of other lands.
Thank you.
IPHMNM2305
Walid S. Moukarim
Shifahhhc@gmail.com Twitter:
@ShifahHolisticC Facebook -
@walidsmoukarim
Tel: 08099331855
Reference
[1] WHO, Fact sheet N134, 2008, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/
factsheets/2003/fs134/en/
[2] A. Gurib-Fakim, “Medicinal plants: traditions of yesterday and
drugs of tomorrow,” Molecular Aspects of Medicine, vol.27, no. 1, pp. 1–93,
2006.
[3] V. Chintamunnee and M. F. Mahomoodally, “Herbal medicine
commonly used against infectious diseases in the tropical island of Mauritius,”
JournalofHerbalMedicine, vol. 2, pp. 113–125, 2012.
[4] Dr. M.I. Jawa (PhD) lectures
[6]A.Gurib-Fakim,T.Brendler,L.D.Phillips,andL.N.Eloff, Green
Gold—Success Stories Using Southern African Plant Species, AAMPS Publishing,
Mauritius, 2010.
[7] A. Gurib-Fakim and M. F. Mahomoodally, “African flora as
potential sources of medicinal plants: towards the chemotherapy of major
parasitic and other infectious diseases- a review,” Jordan Journal of
Biological Sciences, vol.6, pp.77–84, 2013.
[8] V. R. Mason, “Sickle cell anemia,” Journal of the American
Medical Association, vol. 79, no. 14, pp. 1318–1320, 1922.
[9] Traditional Herbal Management of Sickle Cell Anemia: Lessons
from Nigeria, Hindawi Publishing Corporation Anemia Volume 2012, Article ID
607436, 9 pages doi:10.1155/2012/607436
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