Indigenous practices in health care promotion and diseases prevention

Excerpt

Indigenous practices in health care promotion and disease prevention are utilised by millions of people all over the world. However, such practices are not well-documented. Indigenous practices are easily available, affordable, accessible and accepted by most people in various communities around the African continent. As such, this chapter outlines the role of traditional health care practitioners in disease prevention and health care promotion; the role of indigenous practices such as activities and food in health promotion and diseases prevention; taboos and diseases prevention; and challenges faced by traditional health care practitioners and their referral system. Apart from traditional practitioners, indigenous remedies are mostly applied by older people though the young can also utilise them without prescription, for example, the utilisation of Artemisia herbs called tshiumbeumbe among VhaVenḓa and serokulo among Batswana for the prevention and treatment of minor ailments like mukhuswane, also known as the ‘common cold’. Other indigenous health care promotion practices utilised by Africans as a form of exercise include traditional dances such as tshigombela, malende, muchongolo, xifasi and others that aid in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. As such, health care professionals must be made aware of these practices as they are beneficial in health care promotion and disease prevention. Health care professionals should encourage patients to continue with good practices such as consuming indigenous foods (fruits, vegetables, insects, etc.) to promote their health and prevent diseases.