The history of nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers nigerians living in the area as early as 1100 bc. When adopted outside its traditional culture, traditional medicine is often considered a form of alternative medicine. Subsaharan countries have found ways to unite modern medicine with traditional medicine due to the urgency of the hivaids epidemic. Overview on medicinal plants and traditional medicine. Africa is considered to be the cradle of mankind with a rich biological and cultural diversity marked by regional differences in healing practices 2, 6. Herbal medicine use among urban residents in lagos, nigeria. This paper has tried to trace the historical background of traditional medicine in nigeria, its contributions. Nov 25, 2011 over threequarter of the worlds population is using herbal medicines with an increasing trend globally. Ayurvedic and traditional chinese medicine in which herbal therapies were used. Herbal medicines may be beneficial but are not completely harmless.
Traditional medicine is contrasted with scientific medicine. Among the igbos of southeast nigeria, folk medicine as a cultural heritage remains one of the bedrock of prevailing. Nov 25, 2011 it is also recognised by the who that herbal medicines are the most popular form of traditional medicine, and are highly lucrative in the international medicine market. History and benefits of herbal medicine nigeria and world news.
African traditional medicines and indigenous knowledge. In africa, up to 80% of the population uses traditional medicine for primary health care 2. Food taboos are known from virtually all human societies. They also cover large portions of kwara state, and even edo state. Traditional medicine also known as indigenous or folk medicine comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine. A study of traditional healers in nigeria found that 60% of the population was at risk because of the contamination spread by tradition healers. Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain wellbeing fokunang et al.
A brief history of herbalism the use of plants for medicinal purposes. As part of efforts to improve, harmonise and standardise traditional medicine practice in africa, the african regional standard organisation arso, an intergovernmental body formed by the african. One major difference between conventional, western medicine and traditional african medicine, is the way of viewing illnesses and their treatments. Herbal medicine is practiced in line with the sociocultural background of the people. Traditional medicine and the future of medicinal plants in. Early medical traditions include those of babylon, china, egypt and india. Traditional plant uses can be inventoried for present day use. Perhaps, the biggest problems in nigeria with herbal medicine are a lack of. A compiled check list of these plants including their latin names. The devel opment of traditional medicine in nigeria has led to various categories of healers, the various healing methods, strategies and medicines or remedies now known. Pdf traditional medicine practices among the yoruba people of.
Pdf traditional medicine practices among the yoruba people. Dietary rules and regulations may govern particular phases of the human life cycle and may be associated with special events such as menstrual period, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and in traditional societies preparation for the hunt. Furthermore, the paper looks at the prospect of traditional medical system and makes some plausible. The oldest known list of medicinal herbs is shen nungs pen tsao or shennong ben cao jing c. Illness is regarded as having both natural and supernatural causes and. Traditional medicine refers to the knowledge, skills and practises based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. A historical overview of traditional medicine practices. As once noted some years ago tella, 1986, traditional medicine is as old as the hills in nigeria. Traditional medicine might also be considered as a solid amalgamation of dynamic medical knownhow and ancestral experience. If one wants to discuss traditional medicine, one can do it without making comparisons to the arabs, chinese, europeans, etc.
Industrial utilisation of medicinal plants in developing countries, nonwood forest products ii. Table 1 shows some selected nigerian medicinal plants and their uses. By definition, traditional use of herbal medicines implies substantial. The training systems of africans such as the traditional schools did exist, but most. The traditional medical practices of the yoruba in nigeria, however, offer fresh. This paper presents findings on the perception and patronage of traditional medicine in kaduna state nigeria.
The people see the causes of illness from viruses, bacteria and parasites as secondary causes. The contributions of african traditional medicine to nigerias health. Akinwumi department of botany, university of benin, benin city nigeria accepted october 20, 1986 summary one hundred informants including full timepart time herbalists, old ladies, family heads and village heads. The ancient chinese, indians, egyptians, babylonians, and native americans were all herbalists. The results emphasized that nigeria has a long history and culture of tm, conducive climate for the growing of herbs and other materials related to it. Traditional african medicine and its role in healing in a. Traditional medicine who regional office for africa. Traditional and orthodox medical systems in nigeria american. This paper attempts to unravel the historical development of yoruba traditional medicine. African cultural practices and health implications for nigeria rural development ojua takim asu phd. Data from the study was derived from the administration of a. The curative properties of herbal medicine are validated. These plants exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities such as anti cancer, antiinflammatory, diuretic, laxative, antispasmodic, antihypertensive. An examination of the perception and patronage of traditional.
Thus, traditional medicine policy and regulation have been made an integral part of the who proposed critical determinants of herbal medicine safety. Islam reached nigeria through the borno empire between 1068 ad and hausa states around 85 ad during the 11th century, while. The boys also engaged in such other training activities as archery, tree climbing and wrestling. The use of music in healing and healing rites in african traditional societies is as old as the origin of african continent. The hippocratic oath was written in ancient greece in the 5th century bce, and is a direct inspiration for. Over threequarter of the worlds population is using herbal medicines with an increasing trend globally.
Traditionalherbal medicine, traditional medical practitioners, medicinal plants, conservation, nigeria. Traditional medicine policy and regulation in nigeria. Traditional medicine is often termed alternative or complementary. Latin america use traditional medicine tm to meet some of their primary health care needs. African traditional medicine in its varied forms is. It is misunderstood, sometimes to the point of causing fear. Herbal medicine is an important and significant part of alternative medicine. The overarching theme of the research is to investigate the traditional herbal medicine and its practices among the indigenous people of ghana. Peter department of philosophy, university of benin, benin city, nigeria introduction african traditional medicine has an important place in. In the early 20th century, most of the yoruba city states and communities were controlled by obas. Medicinal plants used in antenatal and perinatal care. Pdf often times, people ask questions about the origin and. Herbal medicine practice in nigeria is currently attracting serious attention from the scientific.
Akinwumi department of botany, university of benin, benin city nigeria accepted october 20, 1986 summary one hundred informants including full timepart time herbalists, old ladies, family heads and. Herbal manual sw school of botanical medicine home. It is also recognised by the who that herbal medicines are the most popular form of traditional medicine, and are highly lucrative in the international medicine market. Trends and challenges of traditional medicine in africa. May 10, 2018 herbal medicine is an important and significant part of alternative medicine. Herbal medicine involves the use of different parts of the. The integration of traditional and complementary medicine in. The world health organization who defines traditional medicine as the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to. Medicinal plants for forest conservation and healthcare, fao, rome, italy. The traditional healer provides health care services based on culture, religious background, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that are prevalent in his community. This gives credence to the fact that people patronise traditional medicine practitioners tmps for their primary health needs more. Pdf traditional medicine practices among the yoruba. Herbal manual the medicinal, toilet, culinary and other uses of of the most commonly used herbs by harold ward l. A towering figure in the history of medicine was the physician hippocrates of kos c.
African traditional medicine is the oldest, and perhaps the most assorted, of all therapeutic systems. Jul 03, 2011 the federal government of nigeria has established the nigeria natural medicine development agency nnmda to study, collate, document, develop, preserve and promote nigerian traditional medicine products and practices and to also fasttrack the integration of the tm into the mainstream of modern health care system in line with happenings in. Nigerian theatre, variety of folk opera of the yoruba people of southwestern nigeria that emerged in the early 1940s. Directed toward a local audience, it uses nigerian themes, ranging from modernday satire to historical tragedy. Oral literature encompasses fables, folktales, legends myths and proverbs. Medicinal plants used in antenatal and perinatal care among. Traditional medicine practices among the yoruba eo plf n ig ra. It combined a brilliant sense of mime, colourful costumes, and traditional drumming, music, and folklore. Traditional medicine an overview sciencedirect topics. Traditional medicine practices among the yoruba people of nigeria. African cultural practices and health implications for. It is a part and parcel of alternative treatment methods. Medicinal plants and traditional medicine in africa, john wiled and sons limited, chichester.
Nigeria, the ratio of traditional health practitioners to the population was 1. Despite the effectiveness of the traditional medicine some peoplestill hold the view that to be civilized is to avoid the etm and cleave to the use of orthodox medicine. This paper attempted a historical origin of this art, provides a theoretical basis for music therapy in africa and concludes by specifically highlighting areas where the use of music therapy has yielded fruitful results in nigeria. The history of medicine shows how societies have changed in their approach to illness and disease from ancient times to the present. History and benefits of herbal medicine the guardian. Sushruta, from india, introduced the concepts of medical diagnosis and prognosis. The traditional healers promote traditional african medicine, a form of holistic health that combines spiritual beliefs and herbalism to treat patients.
The african continent experienced its own form of training and learning before it was colonized and even before the arrival of the missionaries. Numerous ancient african civilizations settled in the region that is today nigeria, such as the kingdom of nri, the benin empire, and the oyo empire. L w l abstract often times, people ask questions about the origin and development of traditional medicine among the yoruba people. The second is to find out the level of preference of folk medicine in igbo society, and thirdly to collate some medical folklores of the igbo society. Since tam has been with the rural dwellers for generations and also for the fact that orthodox medicine is often in short supply, expensive and often times fake, the peoples approach in terms of illhealth is first turned towards patronizing the easily accessible traditional. The aim of the study is to examine the perception and patronage of traditional medicine in kaduna state.
Unlike its western counterpart, traditional african medicine is said to take a holistic approach, which is based on the premise of interconnectedness, and often includes indigenous herbalism in its treatment. Traditional, orthodox, medicine, health care, nigeria. According to statistics, they make up as much as 35% of the total population of nigeria. This holistic health care system has many practitioners and followers and despite its decline for a period of time, traditional african medicine has resurged across the continent in recent years. Traditional medicine has maintained its popularity in all regions of the developing world and its use is rapidly spreading in the industrialized countries. Brief history of yoruba people, culture, religion and. The history, the current prevalence and the approach to a patient jewel llamas april 2017 introduction female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation fgm or female genital cutting fgc, is practiced in many countries spanning.
Use of traditional herbal medicines in developed countries 2. African traditional medicines and indigenous knowledge systems. The integration of traditional and complementary medicine. Traditional african medicine is a traditional medicine discipline involving indigenous herbalism and african spirituality, typically involving diviners, midwives, and herbalists.
The integration of traditional and complementary medicine in health systems. Yorubas are one of the most popular ethnic groups in nigeria. The study investigates the relevance of herbal medicine in contemporary health care provision in ghana. Researchers have found that people in different parts of the world tend to use the same or similar plants for the the recently, the world health.
Although occupations varied accord ing to the geographical areas in nigeria, the major ones were farming, trading, craft work, fishing, cat tle rearing, wine tapping, traditional medicine and blacksmithing. The traditional leadership of yoruba land consists of an oba, who is the monarch, as well as chiefs or oloyes, which act as advisers and coadministrators of the kingdom. In some asian and african countries, up to 80% of the population relies on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs. Introduction mans life and survival would be impossible without symbiosis with, and extensive use of plants and plant products. Traditional medicine and the future of medicinal plants in nigeria. In addition to herbal medicine, massage, therapeutic dieting, fasting, hydrotherapy, and radiant healing therapy are often among the other components of traditional medicine. The communication between conventional and traditional medicine. Therefore, this study is designed to assess the policy and regulation guiding herbal medicine in nigeria as this information may form a safety index of herbal medicine use in nigeria. This study aimed to assess the extent of use and the general knowledge of the benefits and safety of herbal medicines among urban residents in lagos, nigeria. The present study represents an attempt to document information on the traditional medicinal plants that used in nigeria.
Up until the 20th century western medicine was not much better than a placebo and often medical procedures did more harm than good. In africa, traditional healers and remedies made from plants play an important role in the health of millions of people. Traditional medicine tm is 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 1. The study involved 388 participants recruited by cluster and. The federal government of nigeria has established the nigeria natural medicine development agency nnmda to study, collate, document, develop, preserve and promote nigerian traditional medicine products and practices and to also fasttrack the integration of the tm into the mainstream of modern health care system in line with happenings in. Herbal medicines in african traditional medicine intechopen. Practitioners of traditional african medicine claim to be able to cure various and diverse conditions such as cancers, psychiatric disorders, high blood pressure, cholera, most venereal diseases, epilepsy, asthma. Journal of ethmpharnwcology, 18 1986 257266 257 eisevier scientific publishers ireland ltd. This gives credence to the fact that people patronise traditional medicine practitioners tmps. Apr 09, 2019 herbalism, divination, and spiritualism often combine in traditional african medicine, perhaps the oldest and most varied therapeutic system in the world. African traditional medicine is a form of holistic health care system organized into three levels of specialty, namely divination, spiritualism, and herbalism. Tradi tional medicine, yoruba, nigeria, medicinal plants. Islam reached nigeria through the borno empire between 1068 ad and hausa states. Nigeria is richly endowed with indigenous plants, which are used in herbal medicine to cure diseases and heal injuries.
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