African Traditional Medicine Science

An Over view

In African traditional medicine, sickness is diagnosed based on its etiology, the main organs of the body that control the primary location of the disease, and their relative temperament

This makes the understanding of an ailment and its treatment completely different from that of orthodox medicine

With the human body divided into two, that is hot (zafi) and Cold (sanyi), based on the temperament of the four main component that fuel the body, which are;

Blood – Jini – Zafi

Sugars (energy) Zaki – Zafi

Phlegm - Majina – Sanyi

Fats (Lipids) Maiko – Sanyi

In our case of study, we see HIV as a sickness of the blood and lipid – Jini da maiko. Which are believed to be the primary source of the defense system of the body.,

Its attributes on entry are zafi and sanyi, its symptoms also include, rashes, skin lacerations, dark spots on the skin, cough and fever [zazzabi mara radadi].

We know that the skin is controlled by the lungs and the lungs is sanyi (cold), we also know that Jini is controlled by the liver and that the liver is zafi.

Why Do People Use Herbal Medicine

Some of the earliest evidence of human’s use of plant for healing dates back to the Neanderthal period (Winslow and Kroll, 1998).

Herbal medicinal is now being used by an increasing number of patients who typically do not report to their clinicians concomitant use (Miller, 1998).

There are multiple reasons for patients turning to herbal therapies. Often cited is a “sense of control, a mental comfort from taking action,” which helps explain why many people taking herbs have diseases that are chronic or seen to be incurable by conventional orthodox medicine viz. diabetes, cancer, arthritis or AIDS.

In such situations, they often believe that conventional medicine has failed them. When patients use home remedies for acute, often self-limiting conditions, such as cold, sore throat, or bee sting, it is often because professional care is not immediately available, too inconvenient, costly or time-consuming (Winslow and Kroll, 1998).

In rural areas, there are additional cultural factors that encourage the use of botanicals, such as the environment and culture, a “man earth relationship.” People believe that where an area gives rise to a particular disease, it will also support plants that can be used to cure it (Winslow and Kroll, 1998).

Natural plant products are perceived to be healthier than manufactured medicine (Gesler, 1992).

Additional, report of adverse effect of conventional medications are found in the lay press at a much higher rate than reports of herbal toxicities, in part because mechanisms to track adverse effect exist for conventional medicines whereas such data for self-treatment is harder to ascertain. Even physicians often dismiss herb as harmless placebos (Winslow and Kroll, 1998).

This cumulative of reasons and the subsequent results of wellness received from use of herbal medicines have fueled the now raise of end users, traditional medical doctors, study and research.