Beyond Western Medicine powerpoint final

BEYOND WESTERN MEDICINETraditional and Alternative Care in Africa &

Canadapresented by

AMREF’S Coffeehouse Speakers Series on global development

featuring

Dr. Heather Boon,Katie Smith and

Jette James of AMREF Canada’s Board of Directors

Quotable“Medicine has long decried acupuncture, homeopathy, and the like as dangerous nonsense that preys on the gullible. Again and again, carefully controlled studies have shown alternative medicine to work no better than a placebo. But now many doctors admit that alternative medicine often seems to do a better job of making patients well, and at a much lower cost, than mainstream care—and they’re trying to learn from it. ”

-David H. FreedmanThe Atlantic, “The Triumph of New-Age Medicine”, July 2011

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/the-triumph-of-new-age-medicine/308554/

Did you know?

“In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.”

Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs134/en/

Stand of a traditional healer in an open market in Accra, capital of Ghana – Pgallert, Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

In South Africa the most commonly trusted traditional healers are Diviners.

“…diviners or spirit mediums combine the role of herbalist with the role of psychotherapist, community historian, priest, council and judge and they are believed to have a closer relationship or to be in constant communication with the ancestral spirits.”

Source: “Perceptions of Traditional Healers in collaborating with biomedical health workers in HIV/TB Program” by Boniface Hlabano

Did you know?

Source: torontoibogainecentre.ca

Traditional medicines used by Bwiti practitioners in West Africa have been adopted in Canada to help treat addiction to hard drugs such as heroine. Specifically, the psychoactive compound Ibogaine—a hallucinogenic derived from the root of the Tabernanthe iboga plant—has been found to be highly effective. Toronto is home to Ontario’s first Ibogaine facility.

Source: http://www.foundhealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/fsnr9.jpg

Quotable

Source: http://www.scidev.net/en/science-and-innovation-policy/entrepreneurship/news/software-apps-for-african-farmers-win-prizes.html

“Ayahuasca shows you very clearly the psychological baggage that you’ve carried all your life…and if you see this baggage, then you can put it down...”

- Dr. Gabor Maté

Dr. Maté has worked as an addictions doctor in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side for over a decade, combining the use of Western medicine with traditional medicine, including the use of the hallucinogen Ayahuasca, which is found in the Peruvian Amazon

Did you know?South Africa’s National Drug Policy incorporates traditional medicine use into the country’s health sector—made official in the 2007 Traditional Healers Act—encouraging traditional healers and mainstream health professionals to cooperate and work together.

Source: “Perceptions of Traditional Healers in collaborating with biomedical health workers in HIV/TB Program” by Boniface Hlabano

A traditional healer of the Shona people of Zimbabwe – Hans Hillewaert

From 2002 to 2013, the Canadian International Development Agency has operated a “Strengthening Traditional Health Systems” project, supporting the work of the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa (AFRO). Part of the project explores how traditional medicine could be used to address malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

Did you know?

Source: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/CIDAWEB/cpo.nsf/vWebProjByNumEn/C883B004E273DA648525710F0036FCE7

Did you know?

The open access African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative medicines was founded in 2004, and is dedicated to publishing “exciting research in all areas of applied medical plants, Traditional medicines, Complementary Alternative Medicines, food and agricultural technologies, and promotion of healthy use of medicinal products.”

Source: http://journals.sfu.ca/africanem/index.php/ajtcam/index