Western and Traditional African Medicine in the Fight Against Tropical Diseases in Africa

Abstract

Based on the intensity of infection and the severity of tropical diseases in patients, epidemiologists attribute many regions of the African continent to being the most problematic in the world. The wide prevalence of tropical diseases has a negative impact not only on the health of the local population but also on the incomes of some sectors of the economy, in particular, trade and tourism. However, to date, almost no state in Sub-Saharan Africa has its own full-fledged system of epidemiological control and the provision of adequate assistance to those in need. The vast majority of the rural and urban population, if necessary, turn to traditional healers, which is explained by the significant financial accessibility of this type of medical care and its openness to all segments of the population. Health care institutions in most African countries experience a deficit of modern medical and diagnostic equipment and qualified high- and middle-tier personnel needed to ensure wider coverage of the population with affordable and high-quality medical care. Assistance in this to the states of the continent is provided by various specialized organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as epidemiological surveillance services. It is concluded that at present, it is the traditional methods of prevention and treatment of diseases characteristic of the climatic features of Africa that are widely demanded by the population, both in rural areas and in cities. In recent decades, in many countries on the continent, traditional medicine has received a status equal to professional medicine.