Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
effective training programs, medical practitioners, Ghana, attitudes
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Abstract
The medical system extant in Ghana today is a complex one made up of many different health care delivery sectors. As is often the case wherever competing systems of medicine exist, the traditional and Western medical systems that participate in health care in Ghana are not effectively integrated and do not cooperate at a level where efficacious communication between the two groups can be facilitated. In a nation where most of the government focus and funding for health care is directed towards Western medicine but where seventy percent of the population relies on traditional medicine, the need for an effective system of collaboration between the two medical systems is readily apparent. The Ghanaian Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service have made important strides in this effort in the past twenty years, primarily through the establishment of training for traditional birth attendants and a center for research regarding traditional medicinal herbs, and are planning new projects to further this effort. From research I have gathered from traditional medical practitioners (TMPs) and Ghanaian medical doctors, I have discovered that there is much more to be done to promote effective collaboration and integration between Western and traditional medicine, and that members of both groups are anxious to participate in these efforts.
Recommended Citation
Lamprecht, Amy and Olsen, Dr. William C.
(2013)
"Facilitating Effective Training Programs for Traditional Medical Practitioners in Ghana: Guidelines Based on Prior Successes and Current Attitudes,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013:
Iss.
1, Article 111.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/111