LEVERAGING INDIGENOUS HEALTH MEDICAL PRACTICES TOWARDS PROMOTING HEALTH COVERAGE IN SUB- SAHARAN AFRICA

Abstract

Historically, human beings are confronted with various illnesses and diseases that adversely affect their health and general wellbeing. Realizing this scenario, different communities across the world are known for various indigenous knowledge and practices, considered as necessary for promoting, supporting and sustaining specific healthcare needs of people. Today, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is faced with low health coverage. This is attributable to many factors, which include lack of political will on the parts of those that are saddled with governance, urban biased health policy, poor health facilities, corruption and mass poverty, among others. Using a literature review, this article argues for the use of indigenous health systems as avenue for optimizing health coverage in the subcontinent. Functionalist theoretical approach with specific reference to Talcott Parsons AGIL model is employed to provide the theoretical argument of this paper. Considering the trajectory and issues surrounding health coverage and the array of indigenous knowledge in the subcontinent, the paper concludes that appropriate mechanisms should be put in place such that indigenous health knowledge and practices capable of promoting health and wellbeing of people should be optimally utilized to scale up the health coverage in the sub-region.