Crucial Role Of Traditional Healers Health And Social Care Essay

Crucial Role Of Traditional Healers Health And Social Care Essay In this paper a comparison of Western medicines and African traditional medicines shall be made. The purpose of this paper is to identify similarities and differences between Western and African conceptions of diseases, cure and effective patient care. According to Germov (2007, p. 8) Western Medicine is the conventional approach to medicine in western societies, based on the diagnosis and explanation of illness as a mulfunction of the bodys biological mechanisms. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness Hewson (1998). WHO defines Traditional medicine as the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses. Traditional medicine that has been adopted by other populations outside its own culture is often termed alternative or complementary medicine (WHO, 2008). Helwig (2005) claimed that primary healers in traditional African medicine are midwives, herbalist and diviners. Diviners focus on the root causes of sickness by the ancestral spirits (Helwig, 2005). Midwives use herbs and local plants to assist with pregnancy and childbirth (Helwig, 20005). Herbalists use animal, plants and mineral based medicines to cure diseases (Helwig, 2005). Herb market and herb trading is a very common practice in many African countries (Helwig, 2005). According to Okpako (2006) traditional African communities have three main groups of plants they use to cure serious illnesses, poisonous plants and plants for minor illnesses. Plants used for minor illnesses treat illnesses such as headaches; bruises and pain fever are used without consultation of spiritual healers (Okpako, 2006). Plants used for serious illnesses are used when dealing with life threatening illnesses and need the intervention of spiritual healers, what the patient gets is holistic treatment (Okpako, 2006). Okpako (2006) stated that as for the poisonous plants, many African communities recognise it just from experience with it or from accidental poisoning. Okpako (2006) claimed that in most African countries, many people western medicines are out of their reach as they do not have money to buy the drugs and so they resort to traditional medicine is it cheap. Traditional African medicine is based on accumulated experience of ancient Africans (Okpako, 2006). Traditional African medicines mode of transmission is spread by word of mouth and has hindered emergency of a generally accepted theory and hence of the systematic development of traditional African medicine as a self-regulating profession (Okpako, 2006). Traditional African medicine practitioners are healers who believe that their methods can cure many conditions including cancer, AIDS, mental problems, infertility, some sexually transmitted diseases, wounds and burns as well as many other ailments and conditions (Helwig, 2005) Good health is linked to a correct relationship between people and their supernatural environment (Helwig, 2005). According to Helwig (2005) among the traditional healers, being able to diagnose an illness is considered a gift from both God and the ancestors. Helwig claimed that a major emphasis is placed on determining the root cause underlying any sickness or bad luck. Illness is said to stem from lack of balance between the patient and his or her environment, (Helwig, 2005) Diviners may use plants not only for healing purposes but also to control weather and events, (Helwig, 2005). Helwig (2005) stated that in addition to plants, traditional African healers may employ charms, incantations and casting of spells. They are also skilled in psychotherapy and counselling (Helwig, 2005). African healing systems recognise the influence of the mind on the human well being (Helwig, 2005). They recognise the negative emotions such as fear, guilt and hate can lead to illness (Helwig, 2005). Rituals are undertaken to appease the angered ancestral spirits, patients need to make confessions in order for the spirits to forgive them and be well (Helwig, 2005). The rituals accompanying the use of herbal medicine is referred to as incantation. Incantation is a collection of carefully chosen words used to bring healing effect or resolving emotional conflict in the mind of the patient (Helwig, 2005). Spirits of the ancestors protect their living descendants, however ancestors demand from their descendants strict adherence to the moral laws laid down (Helwig, 2005). An immoral act for example incest is believed to annoy the spirits resulting in serious illness or misfortune (Helwig, 2005). According to WHO, 80% of the African population depends on traditional medicine for primary health care. In Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Zambia, 60% of children with high fever resulting from malaria use herbal medicine at home. Lovell (2009) claimed that individuals suffering from pain, anxiety, depression, headaches and fatigue use alternative medicine. WHO estimates that several African countries practice traditional birth with the help of traditional midwives who uses indigenous plants to aid childbirth. WHO (2008) claimed that 70% to 80% of the population in western countries has used some form of alternative or complementary medicine for example acupuncture. As noted by Germov (2007) there are varied reasons why alternative medicine is so popular at the expense of western medicine. When people get sick they need to know the causes of the illness, suffering or even death (Germov, 2007). In Western medicine, the traditional view that illness was caused by spiritual evil is no longer valid. Alternative medicine that have an explanation to causes of illnesses and suffering have a greater appeal (Germov, 2007). The desire to achieve a more holistic form of care may be a motivating factor as to why patients choose traditional medicine (Lovell, 2009). In most African countries, drugs are out of reach to many people as they do not have the money to buy them. The only solution available is to resort to traditional medicine as it is cheap and reliable (Okpako, 2006). Most African people are so skeptical to try western medicine. The main reason is that they are afraid to try something new and prefer to continue using their old way of seeking medical help that is the use of traditional medicine(Okpako, 2006). As stated by Germov (2007) people have lost trust in western medicine. Many toxins found in the drugs have drove people away from the use of it. People have also lost trust in scientific experts, they blame them on almost all the environmental problems such as global warming, oil spills and even acid rain (Germov, 2007). Germov (2007) claimed that there is a good relationship between personal healer and patient. Personal healers take their time to listen and provide tailor made treatment to the individual client. By so doing they create a strong bond which can lead up to trust and loyalty. Wilcox Bodeker (2004) reported that in most African countries the rise in drug resistances and problems in accessing effective anti -malarial drugs in both remote and underprivileged areas has forced people to resort to traditional medicine as their source of treatment. As noted by Marlise (2004) friction is evident between western medicines that look at material causation to understand and treat an illness and traditional medicine that generally looks towards the spiritual origin such as witchcraft and displeasure by ancestors in order to cure an ailment. According to Marlise (2004) there has been media reports of traditional healers claiming to have a cure for AIDS and submit their patients to dangerous or ineffective treatments. Marlise (2004) stated that amongst some people in Africa, it is believed that if a sick person does not get treatment and dies, his or her spirit will cause more diseases. According to Marlise (2004) a number of traditional healers have seen a lucrative opportunity of curing people living with HIV/AIDS in the absence of biomedicine and a number of developing countries do not have access to anti-retroviral medication or adequate health care to those living with HIV/AIDS. The WHO describes the problems related to clinical data on traditional medicine as steming from the poor quality of data and also the methodology used as being below the stipulated standard. WHO (2008) claimed that traditional healers need to promote both their published and unpublished data inorder for them to gain support from the whole world. Lovell (2009) stated that the gap between western medicine and traditional medicine practitioners is increasing. As stated by Lovell, traditional healers do not believe that their practices are guaranteed worldwide and their argument is that the efficacy of their product has stood the test of time. All in all the use of western and African traditional medicine depends on an individuals beliefs and culture. It also depends on the availability of funds to seek treatment. In Africa most people cannot afford to source western medicine mainly because it is very expensive and so they resort to their traditional medication mainly because it is cheaper. Precautions need to be taken carefully as there are a lot of side effects associated with the continued use of traditional medicine. Some of the side effects might lead to convulsions or even death.

Ethics Paper -- essays research papers

Everyday we each face questions of what we ought to do. We sometimes ask ourselves, â€Å"What if everyone did that?† Every time you decide to pick up a piece of trash because you want the city to look nice, you are not doing it because of the aesthetic effect of one piece of trash, but rather what the city would look like if no one picked up their trash. Kant uses this everyday question in his system of morality as part of the categorical imperative. For Kant, the morality of an action can be determined by the categorical imperative. Kant would like to determine the morality of stealing, therefore Kant wants to examine the morality of â€Å"I will steal anything I want to satisfy my desire for it†. Then Kant rephrases the statement to ask the question of what if everybody did it, â€Å"Everyone will steal anything they want to satisfy their desire for it.† Then Kant makes that statement a maxim, a law which must be followed by everyone in Kant’s test world. Kant examines the world and asks if you can consistently will your maxim in a world in which that is a law? But if everyone steals anything they desire, how will there be property rights since it is okay for anyone to take anything at any time? There can’t. Since there are no property rights, the maxim breaks down since stealing only occurs when someone takes property from its rightful owner. Since there is a contradiction in the 1 conception of the maxim, you are prohibited from acting on that maxim. Imagine Ice Man, a cold, rational person that does not find inner satisfaction in spreading joy and cannot take delight in the satisfaction of others. Does Ice Man have a duty to help others when they are in need? Ice Man is wealthy and not in need of help from others? Ice Man wants to determine the morality of â€Å"I will not help others when they are in need of help.† Therefore, what if everyone did not help others when they are in need of help. Despite this being an unhappy world, there is no contradiction in conception in this maxim unlike above. But does it pass Kant’s contradiction in willing test? Ice Man is defined as a rational being. As a rational being, Ice Man knows that one day he too will be in need. Since he is a rational being, he will prefer that someone would help him and as a rational being, cannot will that no one would help other when they are in need. Since it fails the contradiction in willing test, ev... ...by universalizing the situation and removing your own self interest, then we judge the consequences to our actions without prejudice or preference. By ignoring the question of â€Å"What if everyone did that?†, we can 3 justify murder, lies, and other unmoral acts that can hurt much more than we realize in the heat of the moment. If I leave a piece of trash on the ground when I am in rush or otherwise pressured and believe that is okay, that piece of trash on the ground means that someone else will have to pick it up and that other people will feel more free to drop their trash there.1 Many actions may seem to hurt no one, but in the aggregate do cause pain to others. By ignoring the question of â€Å"What if everyone did that?†, we ignore the infinitesimal effects our actions have on everyone we come into contact with it or simply feel the secondary effects. Therefore, the universal question of â€Å"What if everyone did that?† should be a part of our ethical thinking. 1I did an informal study on this in my social room last year with both dirty dishes in the sink and paper towels on the floor. The difference in dirtiness after an hour was impressive. Real studies have been done on this as well.

Money or Happiness Essay

The general belief is that the rich tend to pamper their children by buying them all sorts of â€Å"toys†, while the poorer children do not do this because they cannot afford to. It is usually presented in stories- especially in movies – that rich children are bad while those from poorer families struggle all their lives. Consequently it may be believed that children from rich families are happier than those from poorer ones. This may be the case in some instances, but is definitely not always true. Children can be happy whether they are from rich or poor families. We hear of cases where poor families make all sorts of sacrifices so that their children – or one of them – can have a certain comfort. Fathers are known to work at extra jobs so that their children can have expensive toys for Christmas or for their birthdays. On the other hand, the children of the rich are not always given everything they want. Rich fathers are known to make their children work for a living and earn their pocket money. Other fathers have refused to give their children expensive toys so that they will learn the value of hard work. Hence it is not the riches of the parents that can make the children happy but what the parents do to the child. Happiness can never be equated with having money or having rich parents for that matter. It is possible that poor parents have a close relationship with their child. In this way the child has something far better; it has love. Having enough love, the child will be happy – at least much happier than if it did not receive love. On the other hand it is possible that the child of rich parents have everything she wants but does not get the love and concern that she needs. The parents of rich children are sometimes too busy spending their money and earning more. Often we hear stories of â€Å"poor little rich children†. Though many of the stories we hear are fiction, some of them are real indeed. Sometimes the parents of rich children believe that their child will be happy if he is provided with everything he needs. They try to substitute money for love and care. In such instances, the rich child can be very happy indeed. In addition, children brought up in this way tend to be very poor in relationships. They do not know how to value things like friendships. Such a child is poor indeed, in spite of being financially rich. Using money and surrounding himself with all sorts of toys the child is apt to grow up with the wrong sense of what is true happiness. Then one day when he realizes that money does not always buy happiness, he will not know which way to turn. Hence children from rich families may not always be happier than those from poorer families. In fact both are capable of being happy, with or without money.

Learning About Starfish

Learning About Starfish Starfish are fascinating creatures. With their   bumpy, five-armed bodies, its easy to see how they got their  name, but did you know that starfish arent really fish at all? Scientists dont call these ocean-dwelling  creatures starfish. They call them sea stars because they arent fish. They dont have gills, scales, or backbones like fish do. Instead, starfish are invertebrate  marine organisms tbhat  are part of the family known as  echinoderms. One feature that all echinoderms have in common is that their body parts are arranged symmetrically around a center point. For starfish, those body  parts are their arms. Each arm has suckers that help starfish, who dont swim, move along and capture prey. Most of the 2,000 species of starfish have the five arms that inspired their name, but some have as many as 40 arms! Starfish can regrow an arm if they lose one. Thats because their vital organs are located in their arms. In fact, as long as an arm has part of the starfishs central disc, it can regenerate an entire starfish. At the end of each of a starfishs five to forty arms is  an eye that helps them locate food. Starfish eat things like clams, snails, and small fish. Their stomachs are located on the underside of their central body part. Did you know that a starfishs stomach can come out of its body to envelop its prey? Another striking fact about starfish is that they dont have brains or blood! Instead of blood, they have a water vascular system that helps them breathe, move, and expel waste. Instead of a brain, they have a complex system of light - and temperature-sensitive nerves. Starfish  live only in saltwater habitats but are found in all Earths oceans. They vary in sized based on the species but are usually between 4 and 11 inches in diameter and can weigh up to 11 pounds. The lifespan of a starfish also varies by species, but many live up to 35 years. They can be found in a variety of colors such as brown, red, purple, yellow, or pink. If you are fortunate enough to find a starfish in a  tide pool or the ocean, you can safely pick it  up. Just be very careful not to harm the starfish and make sure to return it to its home. Learning About Starfish To learn more about sea stars, try some of these excellent books: Starfish by Edith Thacher Hurd is a Lets-Read-and-Find-Out About story about starfish  and how they live in the deep blue sea. One Shining Starfish by Lori Flying Fish is a colorful counting book featuring starfish and other ocean-dwelling creatures.   Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish by  Janet Halfmann is a beautifully-illustrated book that weaves facts about starfish into a delightfully captivating tale. Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars: Take-Along Guide by Christiane Kump Tibbitts introduces a variety of marine life, including starfish. It includes tips for identifying several marine-dwelling creatures and features fun activities to try. Spiny Sea Star: A Tale of Seeing Stars by Suzanne Tate provides easily-accessible facts about starfish with adorable illustrations. Sea Star Wishes: Poems from the Coast by Eric Ode is a collection of  ocean-themed poems, including those about starfish. Memorize a starfish poem or two as you study sea stars. Resources and Activities for Learning About Starfish Spend some time researching and learning about starfish using your library, the Internet, or local resources. Try some of these ideas: Learn more about how starfish see with the eyes at the end of each of their arms.Research starfish anatomy. Learn how they eat, breathe, and move.Visit an aquarium or a fish store to see live starfish up close.If you live near a beach, look for starfish in the tide pools.Make a diorama featuring starfish, their habitat, and their prey.Create an ABC book about starfish.Do some research to find out what creatures other than starfish are members of the  echinoderm family.Learn about the dangers,  such as predators and pollution, that starfish face. Starfish, or sea stars, are enchanting creatures who play an important role in their environment. Have fun learning more about them! Updated by Kris Bales

7 Work From Home Jobs You NEED to Avoid

7 Work From Home Jobs You NEED to Avoid Everybody thinks working from home is the best possible thing. The grass that is always greener. But there are a few work from home jobs that are more trouble than they’re worth. You may think it’s worth it to work in your pajamas, eating Cheez-Its for breakfast, but at least in a few cases, you might be wrong. Here are a few of the worst work from home jobs, in case you’re considering the career move.1. Obvious ScamsIf a work from home job seems too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there. Be on the lookout for gigs like â€Å"envelope stuffing,† â€Å"at-home assembly,† â€Å"claim processing,† or â€Å"refund recovery.† And don’t accept any job that asks you for money up front. Keep your private info private until you’re sure an opportunity is legit.2. SalesSales is a pretty tough gig even when you’re not working from home. This work is actually quite competitive. Just think how many of your social media pals are constantly hocking some product or another. Do you really want to be that person who drives their family and friends crazy with constant promotional blasts?3. In-Home Day CareUnless you really love kids, this is often way less money than it’s worth. You’ll have much less privacy, and be exposed to a lot more germs. And you’ll probably have to chase down payments from parents (who will also expect you to work when normal people are vacationing).4. Mystery ShoppingIt sounds brilliant, right? Get a free meal, go shopping incognito, all while making a bit of extra cash. But remember that these assignments pay much less than even minimum wage and you’ll have to work a lot of them to make any money at all.5. MLMDirect sales gigs sound really promising out of the gate. Work from home, unlimited earning potential, being your own boss, but keep normal(ish) hours†¦ But you’ll be on the hook to sell to everyon e all the time, and this can get exhausting. It’s also very tough to do in a saturated market.6. Cold CallingThis work is never fun, no matter where you’re making your calls. Lead generation is necessary for a lot of businesses, but unless you have nerves and personality of steel, it’s miserable work calling uninterested parties and trying to get them interested before they hang up on you in a huff.7. Pay-Per-TasksMindless work for cash? Sounds easy enough, right? Just remember that available tasks can fluctuate widely from season to season and often the rate is mere pennies. You’ll be competing with overseas workers as well, who have a lower standard of living and need less to live- and are hungrier to do the work.

Minnesota v. Dickerson 1993 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minnesota v. Dickerson 1993 - Case Study Example The event occurred on November 9, 1989, while exiting an apartment building with a history of cocaine trafficking, Timothy Dickerson, a patron walking in the streets, spotted police officers and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Due to this hastiness, the law officials commanded Dickerson to stop, in suspicious of him running around and eventually got to him. On the intent of suspicion, the officer discovered a lump, which he belied was some sort of a leisure drug. Upon further investigation, that suspicious was true. Dickerson was charged with possession of an illegal substance. However, his lawyers argued that there was no valid cause for the officers to conduct this search. Afterall, Dickerson panicked when he saw officials, something that a natural human being is inclined to do when he sees authority. Dickerson pleaded the trial court not to use the possession of cocaine in the court, but was rejected. This case become a supersession to allow officials to lawfully pat dow n a suspect since no element of invasion of privacy has been violated. In his defense to appeal his conviction, Dickerson claimed that the search violated the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of unreasonable searches, as he pleaded it exceeded the limits of a permissible as outlined in Terry vs Ohio. As evident, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that police mat still frisk a patron based on suspicious reasonable search. The search’s purpose is to find weapons, and the officials may seize any items found in any search which is evident. The court made a very important ruling which became evident in future cases. In essence, the court ruled that a detection of contraband during a lawful patdown is legal, even though it does not require a warrant. Due to this ruling, warrantless seizures became permissible. However, the court also pointed out that the Court also concluded that law officials tackling Dickerson stepped outside the

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Leadership - Essay Example Moreover, good leadership engenders the quality of inspiration over coercion; choosing to allow for the possibility of trailblazing new ideas rather than merely following a prescriptive playbook of actions based upon needs. Further, leadership, although prized and likely a commodity that is lacking within the current professional and political world, is not often appreciated within many of the largest multinational corporations throughout the world. This is of course due to the fact that oftentimes management is expected to be carried out utilizing a rather formulaic approach that does not rely upon the leadership capacity or imagination of the individual. However, leadership itself entails a great deal more than mere direction. Corollary parts of trust, belief, and mutual understanding between people are necessary components that cannot and should not be diminished. With respect to what leadership means to me, the answer to this deviates slightly from the textbook definition of what defines leadership. In this way, leadership must engender a great deal of selflessness, tacit yet clearly discernible levels of trust, and the continual dedication to considering the needs of those under your supervision prior to your own needs (Mutalib & Ghani, 2013). As a function of defining and understanding these nuanced concepts to a greater degree, the following analysis will focus upon understanding the following quote: â€Å"A leader’s true test is his or her ability to inspire behavioural changes required to transform organizational performance throughout the ranks† (Caldwell et al., 2012). This will in turn be analyzed leveraging an appreciation for the many schools of management theory that have existed and been promoted throughout the years; attempting to gain a level of oversight with regards to how leadership is viewed as a transformational process through which greater degrees of cohesion and increasing levels of utility/profitability can be engaged. B efore delving into the step-by-step discussion of how the different management theories relate to an interpretation of leadership within the current model, it must be understood that leadership and management are two distinctly interconnected concepts. Whereas management refers to the actual process of accomplishing tasks, focusing resources, and mitigating risks, leadership engenders a more nuanced and personal understanding of how a given individual can encourage cooperation and respect within the employees/stakeholders in question (Mayer et al., 2012). By much the same token, management has a number of roles and functions whereas leadership is not judged by easily quantifiable metrics. For instance, management roles and functions can include, but are not limited to, decision-making, problem-solving, motivation, influencing, negotiating, delegation, and communication. This is not meant to state that leadership does not engender many of the same requirements. However, leadership is something that should not be understood to exist wholly separate from the management process. Rather, the two, in an ideal interpretation and application, must exist side-by-side as a means of providing the best overall product and experience to all individuals involved within the process (Muethel et al., 2012). In such a way, one of the best means of measuring effective leadership is to seek to engage with effective management and ensure that these determinants are met first and foremost. Only once effective management is realized, can true leadership tickets form. This is not to state that leadership must follow managerial process and/or theory 100% of the time. Rather, past instances have proven that many times there is a market deviation from standard managerial protocol and the