Experts warn traditional beliefs roil uptake of modern treatments

The uptake of traditional medicine was replaced by the emergence of modern treatments based on science when African societies embraced western civilisation. But in South Sudan, some societies are still struggling to shed their love for traditional medicine in order to embrace modern treatments. In such societies, herbalists or local traditional healers have permanent status in the society.

A good number of elderly people, especially in rural areas, have encouraged the use of local herbs whenever a member of the community has a fever.

For instance, in Western Equatoria State, it is alleged that hepatitis patients do not seek medication because they are regarded as immoral or cursed for their deeds.

Another peculiarity is that during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the South Sudanese were forced to drink tea without sugar after it emerged that a newborn baby had advised the people to sip tea without sugar as a basic treatment for COVID-19.  

Today, some people also prefer receiving treatment for compound fractures from a traditional herbalist instead of a professional medical doctor.

Back to roots

“My aunt’s son had to be sent to Bweyale town from Kampala, Uganda for a fractured bone to be fixed by a local South Sudanese bone specialist because the modern bone doctors are not good at administering fractures,” John Ajak Atem, a Juba-based resident told The City Review in an exclusive interview on Thursday.  

“After the boy had a fracture in Kampala, someone who is known to be an orthopaedic just tied the arm without fixing it. He even took a lot of money and he did nothing,” he added.

In a quest for better treatment, Atem said the fractured baby had to be taken to Bweyale in Masindi District, Uganda to avoid further dislocation and forecasted disability.

Another resident of Juba, James Ruon, claimed some orthopaedic surgeons sometimes even contribute to more fractures instead of fixing them.  

“They just combine the bones, they do not make them straight, only the traditional bone doctors make them straight,” he said.

“For example, there is a guy who was shot last year and sustained a broken arm. When he was taken to the hospital in Juba here, the orthopaedists did not work on him well, so we had to take him to Yirol Town, Lakes State, this month so that the best traditional healer could work on him. Now, he is almost getting better,” he said.

Garang Abraham Malak, a Juba-based digital information analyst and a societal transformer, argued that illiteracy and a high level of rigidity were contributing to misinformation and the spread of fake news in the communities.

“Some members of the communities we live in don’t trust medical facilities, and they end up messing at times,” he stressed.

“For instance, during COVID-19 inception, many people, after experiencing the signs, mostly ran to look for local herbs instead of seeking medical attention. This character is affecting a lot of people,” Garang explained.

The young professional is encouraging the South Sudanese health experts to quickly come to the rescue of the people, or else they will continue to endanger their lives.

“There is a need to conduct massive local awareness on the importance of seeking medical attention, followed by the establishment of health care centres in areas of need, otherwise the future will remain dark,” Garang said.

Health insight

Dr. Ezekiel Thuou Loi, the Director-General at the national Ministry of Health, said traditional myths are not helpful in science.

He said any incorrect medical information is disastrous for people’s health, and can harm communities at large.  

“For example, seeking the wrong treatment in the wrong places has consequences. They could be as simple as deformities or as serious as deaths.  So, the best way is to go conventional, “Dr. Loi said.

The senior health specialist argued that although there was room for herbal medicines in other modern parts of the world, such moves are subjected to approval and scientific studies.

“But, so far, we have not approved herbal medicine in South Sudan. But unlike in Nairobi, where there is a room for herbal medicines, they are approved by the relevant authorities, “he stressed.  

Experience

Dr. Patrick Bosco, a consulting orthopaedist surgeon for a private clinic in Juba, said it was a sad experience that people who sustained ‘fractured bones’ could still make a U-turn to orthopaedics once the situation gets worse.

“Sometimes, they resort back to conventional medicine and see the doctors if things become more complicated, especially after they develop some advanced complications, that cannot be necessarily healed by the traditional doctors,” he said.

According to the medical practitioner, the locals were learning it the ” way’ given that they don’t adhere to reliable health information.

Breaking the perceptions

Another health specialist who preferred anonymity said the national Ministry of Health has done nothing to prioritise health education.

The person said the ministry should whisper correct health information to the locals to forgo such perceptions.  

“It is clear that in medicine, you do not force a person to do what you think is correct. The patient’s consent is a core ethical approach when you are practicing,” he said.

“However, it should be the role of health educators now to take the correct information to the people. There is room for improvement; the department of health education in the Ministry of Health should scale up to sensitise the people on correct health information,” the source said.

Dr. Felix Adam said all modern health information is scientific and evidence-based and should not be altered. 

“They are information tested, researched, and concluded that this is the way to go when dealing with particular cases,” he stated.

According to the doctor, the only way to break the perceptions was to persistently commit to giving the correct information to the people so that they get convinced.

The doctor advised young, educated people to take on some roles in reaching out to the public in order to combat health misinformation.

“These young generations are in the families, and the communities, so they can be active participants in getting correct information to the people wherever they are,” Dr. Felix said. He added that ”modern medicine has extended the lifespan, and they can treat diseases and illnesses with more ease, according to scientific studies.

However, traditional medicine involving herbs and plants is not always effective, according to doctors.

Modern medicine started to emerge after the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. At this time, there was rapid growth in economic activity in Western Europe and the Americas.

During the 19th century, economic and industrial growth continued to develop, and people made many scientific discoveries and inventions.

Scientists have made rapid progress in identifying and preventing illnesses and in understanding how bacteria and viruses work.