Week 1 - Defining Health Systems Science and Health

Session 3 - South African Indigenous Views on Health

  1. Spark Questions
  2. Module 1: South African Indigenous Views on Health Reflection
  3. Learning Outcome
  4. Session summary and reflection

Spark Questions

Can you think of any cultural practices that are important to you in your health

I am Muslim, so my religion dictates my culture. In Islam we are taught the importance of hygiene.

  •  Wudu – It is a great health practice and washing of all the exposed parts of the body like hand, feet, face, mouth, nostrils five times a day has great preventive measure
  •  Brushing my teeth (Miswak) is promoted, which does prevent many diseases
  •  If I ever come into contact with someone’s blood I am required to submerge my body in water (Ghusl). Ie a shower.
  •  Eating raw meat is not allowed
  •  Eating pork is not allowed (many health conditions associated with eating pig meat)
  •  Drinking enough water and eating healthy is promoted
  •  No intoxicant are allowed, which includes but is not limited to Alcohol, cigarettes, etc.
  •  To keep active and exercise
  •  Islam also connects physical and mental conditions. It promotes to get help and acknowledges mental illnesses. 
    •  Even though Islam promotes getting help it also promotes looking for spiritual help too. This is also promoted by many leading phycologists as a coping mechanism. 
      •  Deuraseh, N. and Abu Talib, M., 2005. Mental health in Islamic medical tradition. The International Medical Journal, 4(2), pp.76-79. (link)

 

  •  So many more here: 
      •  Bhat, A.M. and Qureshi, A.A., 2013. Significance of personal hygiene from Islamic perspective. IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS, 10(5), pp.35-39. (link)
      •  Bajirova, M., 2017. Hygiene and health in Quran and Science. EC Gynaecology, 1, pp.44-55. (link)
      •  Deuraseh, N. and Abu Talib, M., 2005. Mental health in Islamic medical tradition. The International Medical Journal, 4(2), pp.76-79. (link)
      •  Niri, S.A.M.H., 2021. Food health in the view of Islam. Journal of Nutrition and Food Security. (link)

Module 1: South African Indigenous Views on Health Reflection

    1.     What fundamental concepts can you identify about traditional healing health beliefs?

Traditional healing follows a similar concept to western medicine. You get a history, you learn the symptoms. You create tests. You come up with a diagnosis. You provide medicine. In this way many non-critical patients can get care while leaving critical patients  a chance to get another form of care.

   2.     What did you find unusual about traditional healing beliefs about health?

Traditional healers get history from their ancestors. I am not discouraging their belief. I also believe in God and I also have faith. I just think that if a method is not factually proven it shouldn’t be used. 

    3.    In what ways are these concepts of health similar to your own?

Traditional healer heal certain mental illnesses with faith and belief. This is a good coping  mechanism and is often used in medical practice. This is also used in my culture.

    4.    In what ways are these concepts of health different to your own?

We do not believe we can communicate with out ancestors. We believe that if we talk to God, God will guide us to the right path by means of physical worldly things/ways. We don’t speak to God or ancestors directly. We use physical evidence that are proven scientifically to work.

    5.     How could the differences between traditional healing health beliefs and your own become possible obstacles to your own critical thinking?

Whenever I hear “traditional healer” or “traditional medicine”, I in a way stop listening. This is because I have been exposed to so many inaccurate and deceiving information regarding these type of medicine. Medicine that can cure cancer? If that was the case the entire world would be using it right now. So whenever I hear about this practice I refrain from learning about it as it seems like a waste of time. 

Learning Outcome - South African Indigenous Views on Health

  •  Reflect on the similarities and differences between South African Indigenous views of health and your own.
    •  Traditional healers and western medicine use the same methodology to cure patients. Western medicine is just more advanced than traditional medicine. 
  •  Discuss cultural assumptions of health as a possible obstacle to critical thinking. 
    •  Traditional healers don’t work based on fact every time and this can create confusion and distrust. This can cause the public to not pay attention to traditional healing even though it has the potential to bring crucial innovation.

Session summary and reflection

  •  I was first against Traditional medicine. This is because I was arrogant to research and understand it. After I have learned and researched it I still don’t fully agree with the concept but I understand it. There is a certain process they follow that is similar to western medicine. The step that they follow have been working for generations and it keeps the work load lighter for the more critical patients. Even though I do not agree with some of the methods, without traditional healer the entire South African health care system could suffer due to the intense workload. 
Session 2
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