Page 25 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 8

HEALTH & WELLNESS
AFRIKAN TRADITIONAL

MEDICINE DAY

Chioma Phillips

had national research institutes heavily retarded ‘modern’ world
conducting research on traditional has reversed its concepts of what
medicine products used for Ma- is good and has even gone to the
laria, HIV/AID, Sickle-cell disease, extent of manipulating the DNA of
Diabetes and hypertension. 13 our food and creating weird things
countries had marketing autho- from cells that they want you to
rizations for traditional medicine eat and call food. Yet, we were
products; 7 had added traditional given everything we needed by our
medicine products into their Na- loving Father from the get-go and
t’s difficult to explain what tional Essential Medicines Lists and all we had to do was maintain it.
it was like finding out in my nine countries adopted national Instead, ‘modern progress’ seeks to
mid-forties that 42 years, ago frameworks for the protection of corrupt it. ‘Modern medicine’ has
Iat the International Confer- intellectual property rights (IPRs) made tons of money off the created
ence on Primary Healthcare, it was and traditional medicine knowl- ill-fortune of those who trusted
declared that traditional medicine edge (TMK) related to practices them, giving drugs that cause
is a key aspect of primary health and products. (Source: WHO) reactions that require other drugs
care as per the Alma-Ata Declara- or lead to death or disability. For
tion made on September 12th 1978. Why is this a big deal? money!
However disconcerting that was, I grew up believing that Afrikan Afrika’s healthcare comes from the
discovering that 20 years ago on Traditional Medicine or Indigenous natural sunshine God has blessed
August 31st Afrikan Ministers of Holistic Medicine was the devil’s us with, the pure pools of water
Health meeting at a WHO Afrika work. That it was dirty, prepared that we have or must restore, the
Region conference declared that by sinister and unhygienic people, healthy toxin-free soil that will
the day would be Afrikan Tradi- that it could never hope to com- yield healthy nutrient-dense food
tional Medicine Day was worse. pete with conventional medicine. from natural organic seed. Our
More perplexing was learning that That it was not as effective. Now, healthcare comes from the leaves,
the OAU (at the time) in 2001, I discover that not only was the the bark, the fruit that we eat or
declared 2001-2010 the Decade WHO pushing Afrikan countries drink as tonics and beverages. Our
of Traditional Medicine. A time to promote it but that it was legiti- healthcare comes from the sweet
to promote its use, legislation and mized when I was still a baby! That relationships we have with family
ensure the standards of care were I grew up using medication that and friends that help us maintain
improved. To find out all this in had long lists of side effects when balanced perspectives and come
the last two weeks has been over- the very thing that God intended to our aid in time of need and vice
whelming. for me to use was available right at versa. Our healthcare comes from
The WHO says that Primary health my fingertips. For free even. That the loving, healthy, constant and
care (PHC) addresses the majority the majority of people in Afrika reverential connection we have
of a person’s health needs through- have depended upon it for their to God, our Maker, Husband and
out their lifetime. This includes own primary health care and they King, Who sustains us in every
physical, mental and social well-be- are not backward in their thinking. situation and guides and helps us
ing and it is people-centred rather That even ‘modern’ doctors prefer to will and do His pleasure. And we
than disease-centred. PHC is a it for themselves and their families must do everything now to fight to
whole-of-society approach that but will feed their patients poison. reclaim and defend this so that our
includes health promotion, disease In my little experience using people can be strong, healthy, of
prevention, treatment, rehabili- indigenous holistic medicine from sound mind, balanced in every way
tation and palliative care. I also late last year, I can tell you that we spiritually. That way we can stand
found out that again according to have been played. Genesis 1:29, ready for the challenges that will
the WHO, 80% of Afrikans rely on Ezekiel 47:12 and Revelation 22:2 soon come to hit the world. Or did
Afrikan Traditional Medicine and all clearly demonstrate where our you think Covid-19 was it?
that by 2012, 40 Afrikan countries health and nutrition were to come
had national Traditional Medicine from. The leaves and the fruit. This
policies, 19 had strategic plans, 28

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