OLAC Record oai:sil.org:54785

Metadata
Title:		Integrating Indigenous and Modern Knowledge of Malaria among the Sabaot of Mount Elgon in Western Kenya
Abstract:		Some people assume there is an inevitable conflict between Western medicine and indigenous knowledge of the same. They assume that because of certain indigenous concepts of disease causation, treatment and prevention, indigenous peoples will reject certain Western services. The majority of Kenyan communities hold concepts of health and illness that are largely indigenous. This hinders effective communication between Western-trained healthcare providers and indigenous clients. The paper’s research indicates that Sabaot (from Mount Elgon in Kenya) believe in and use indigenous medicine yet use Western medicine too. The relationship between the two systems, indigenous and Western, is shown to be multifaceted—i.e., not just competitive, supplementary or complementary. The paper attempts to bridge the gap between Western and indigenous systems by providing data on Sabaot indigenous concepts and practices concerned with malaria. The different types of remedial practices are described, including some of the negative elements of indigenous medicine. Indigenous and Western perspectives of causation, symptoms and prevention and the complementary predictive power of the two are illustrated for Sabaot and evaluated as an integrative and valuable means of combating malaria throughout Kenya. People in the field of medicine and healthcare should therefore use a holistic approach which is the basis of many indigenous knowledge systems in matters of health. This will create mutual respect, encourage local participation and build partnership for joint problem resolution. This results in improved community well-being and thus more readily sustainable socio-economic development. The last part of the paper looks at the interaction between Western and indigenous health practices and some possible policy options that result. The paper as a whole sees itself as critical for policy makers, health providers and disseminators of health information.
Contributor (author):		Kipsisey, Godfrey
Date (W3CDTF):		2008
Description (URI):		http://www.sil.org/resources/archives/54785
Extent:		20 pages
Identifier (URI):		http://www.sil.org/resources/archives/54785
Language:		English
Language (ISO639):		eng
Spatial Coverage (ISO3166):		KE
Subject:		Sabaot language
		malaria; indigenous; Western medicine; disease; causation; treatment; prevention
Subject (ISO639):		spy
Type (DCMI):		Text
OLAC Info
Archive:		SIL Language and Culture Archives
Description:		http://www.language-archives.org/archive/sil.org
GetRecord:		OAI-PMH request for OLAC format
GetRecord:		Pre-generated XML file
OAI Info
OaiIdentifier:		oai:sil.org:54785
DateStamp:		2013-04-27
GetRecord:		OAI-PMH request for simple DC format
Search Info
Citation:		Kipsisey, Godfrey. 2008. SIL Language and Culture Archives.
Terms:		area_Africa area_Europe country_GB country_KE dcmi_Text iso639_eng iso639_spy
Inferred Metadata
Country:		Kenya
Area:		Africa