Environmental Degradation and Changes in Traditional Health Practice (THP) in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study on environmental degradation and changes in traditional health practices in Bayelsa state has come at the right time to contribute to the move in repositioning the Nigerian health care system. The study has identified the challenges of the traditional medicine practices majorly from the impact of environmental degradation. It sought to investigate the socio-economic characteristics of traditional health practitioners (THPs) in Bayelsa state; to examine the nature and trend of traditional health practices in Bayelsa state; and to investigate the dynamics in traditional health practices due to environmental changes in Bayelsa state. This was done by using the multi stage sampling method to select 72 THPs age between 21 and 100 years in Bayelsa state. Using a semi structured interview guide, the study sourced primary data from the respondents which was analysed using the thematic method of analysis. The results from the analysis reveals that there is low level of education among the THPs; the traditional health services no longer sustain the practitioners financially, so they result to alternative sources of income; and the reason why the practices no longer sustain the practitioners is found the challenges posed on the practice by environmental degradation. The study therefore concludes that if other factors like level of education of THPs and people’s orientation towards traditional medicine, is ruled out, then environmental degradation is one major challenge to the development of traditional medicine in Bayelsa state and Nigeria generally. Therefore, recommendations were made based on these findings.