Raphael Nyarkotey Obu and Lawrencia Aggrey-Bluwey
Background: Naturopathic medicine is at its embryonic stage of development in Ghana and West Africa in its entirety. In jurisdictions where Naturopathic medicine is well regulated, Naturopathic practitioners are well integrated into the primary healthcare delivery team. In Ghana, the case is quite different due to a myriad of issues.
Objectives: This study examines the role of Naturopathic medicine in Public Health in Ghana and potential policy direction for adoption of Naturopathic protocols in global pandemic management, the challenges faced by Naturopathic Physicians in primary healthcare delivery, and the challenges of Naturopathic Medical Students on their clerkship at one of the designated government Hospitals.
Methods: The study adopted a mixed questionnaires study engaged in integrated data analysis. The respondents in this study were selected Naturopathic Medical Students of the Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine, Ghana.
Results: Out of a sample size of 28, 100% (28) believed that there is a role of Naturopathic medicine in public health management. 95% asserted that very few naturopathic remedies have been employed in the fight against Covid-19 in Ghana. There was also a unanimous agreement (100%) that Ghana needs to adopt a National Policy on Naturopathic remedies in Public Health.
Conclusion: Naturopathic medicine should be embraced fully into Ghanaian primary healthcare
delivery. It is important to look at the best practices which exist in other jurisdictions such as China
and India for adoption. It is time for the policymakers to speed up the passage of the Traditional
and Alternative Medicine bill.
Introduction
Naturopathic medicine is an important component of Primary Healthcare. The World Naturopathic Federation [1] is of the view that managing the current pandemic requires utilizing all available treatments and resources both within conventional medicine and within the field of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM).
Their assertion was further cemented by a recent study by Liang et al., (2021), which attributes the success of COVID-19 management in China to adoption of integrative medical practice. Additionally, some studies have confirmed the impact of the Neem Tree on alleviating COVID-19 symptoms. For instance, research by Baildya et al. [2] agrees that there is some evidence that the neem tree has some effect on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Another study by Subramanian, (2020) identified the
compounds present in leaves of the Neem tree as potential inhibitors for COVID-19 and found compounds like Quercetin, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B6, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Patel et al. [3] also confirmed the Hibiscus Tea
as antiviral properties. An earlier study conducted by Takeda et al. [4] also agrees that hibiscus Tea has antiviral ability.
Additionally, Yang et al. [5] also confirmed that coronavirus patients were successfully treated with Chinese herbal medicines including the use of hibiscus leaves and other roots. Hibiscus contains high levels of vitamin C along with various antibacterial properties. Naturopathic remedies address lifestyle factors as an integral part of practice. What is the role of Naturopathic Practice in a public health crisis and primary healthcare delivery? This is the subject of our
research study.
Download To Read Full Paper Here
