George Esunge Fominyen in Brief


  • George Esunge Fominyen is currently Coordinator of the Multi-Media Editorial Unit of the PANOS Institute West Africa (PIWA) in Dakar, Senegal.

    PANOS Institute West Africa 6, Rue Calmette Dakar, Senegal

    Email: [email protected]
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« *African Traditional Medicine Day: Time for Collaboration between Traditional and Biomedical Health Practitioners in Cameroon. Part 1 | Main | Cape Verde versus Cameroon: For Heaven's Sake Where Did These Guys See Nkong? »

September 05, 2008

*African Traditional Medicine Day Part 2: Is Collaboration between Traditional and Biomedical Health Practitioners Possible in Cameroon?

By **Fai Fominyen Ngu Edward and George Esunge Fominyen

Female_healers_south_africa_3 On 31 August 2008, traditional healers in Cameroon celebrated the 6th African Traditional Medicine Day. The theme for the year was “the role of traditional health practitioners in primary health care”. Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni represented Cameroon’s President at the official ceremony which was attended by Minsiters of Health in Africa and the experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO).  Panel discussions were organized on traditional medicine as a primary approach to health care and Africa’s traditional medicine’s pharmaceutical manufacturing plan. Did they discuss the lack of collaboration between traditional healers and “modern” medical practitioners?

Factors that Hinder Collaboration

• Lack of a legal framework and official recognition: Traditional medicine is merely tolerated in Cameroon. There are no laws guiding its practice and so it is like an informal business. In principle healers are no different from “sauveteurs.” So on what grounds are they supposed to collaborate with their modern counterparts? Who are Medical Doctors going to take them for, if not quacks?

• Natural competition for prestige and patients between MDs and healers.

• Lack of Integration of traditional medicine in health care systems: Traditional healers are not attached to bodies like the malaria or HIV/AIDS control committees, they are not involved in the running of services in charge of their work in the ministry of health, are not attached to top research centres, and are rarely given the opportunity to consult in health care institutions as in other countries in Africa.

How to Improve Collaboration Between MDs and THs

• Traditional medicine should be officially legalised and made part of the official health care system in Cameroon

• Intellectual property rights protection should be extended to traditional medicine

• Government should openly and effectively support scientific research into traditional medicine therapies

• Traditional medicine should be officially legalised and made part of the official health care system in Cameroon

• Government should openly and effectively support scientific research into traditional medicine therapies

A Thought To Bear in Mind

Traditional healers and medical doctors have a similar objective. It is to maintain and restore good health and well being to human beings. What differ are the methods of reaching this shared goal. It is therefore important that the structures are put in place to ensure better collaboration between the two for the ultimate good of Cameroonians.

*This article was originally a presentation by Fai Fominyen Ngu Edward at a Colloquium held in advance of the 2006 African Traditional Medicine Day in Cameroon. The presentation was entitled “Collaboration between Traditional and Biomedical Health Practitioners in Delivering Priority Health Care Programmes in Cameroon”.

**Fai Fominyen Ngu Edward is a widely traveled International Consultant in African Traditional Medicine. He is a vigorous campaigner for the recognition of this arm of health care in in Africa and particularly in Cameroon. He is the National President of PROMETRA-Cameroon. He created the first National Association of Traditional Doctors (NACATRADOC)in Cameroon in 1969; He is also founder and chairperson of Traditional and Modern Health Practitioners against HIV-AIDS, Suffering and Harmful Traditional Practices in Cameroon (HEPADIHT-Cam). 

Posted at 04:46 AM in Cameroon Newstalk |

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