Integrating Traditional Healers into the Health Care System:Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Northern Ghana

Traditional medicine is widespread in Ghana, with 80% of Ghanaians relying on its methods for primary health care. This paper argues that integrating traditional and biomedical health systems expands the reach and improves outcomes of community health care. Moving beyond literature, it stresses the importance of trust-relationships between healers and biomedical staff. Insights are based on qualitative research conducted in Ghana’s Northern Region (2013–2014). Five challenges to integration emerged out of the data: a lack of understanding of traditional medicine, discrimination, high turnover of biomedical staff, declining interest in healing as a profession, and equipment scarcity. Besides challenges, opportunities for integration exist, including the extensive infrastructure of traditional medicine, openness to collaboration, and grassroots initiatives. Contemplating challenges and opportunities this paper provides recommendations for integration, including: identify/select healers, promote best practices, institute appropriate forms of appreciation/recognition of healers, provide aid and equipment, use communication campaigns to promote integration and steer attitudinal change towards healers among biomedical staff. Most crucial, we argue successful implementation of these recommendations depends on a concerted investment in relationships between healers and biomedical staff

Urbanisation and development in West Africa: Challenges and policy implications.

The West African sub-region is experiencing a sprout in urbanisation. Although it is adjudged the second slowest growing region in Africa, its rate of urban growth is still quite high by world standards. In 1960, the urban component of the region was estimated to be only 19.6 percent, but in 2000 it had grown to 40.7 percent (UNCHS, 1996). Is this fast pace of urban growth synonymous with socio-economic development in the region as is seen elsewhere? Unfortunately, this is not so. Rather, urban conditions and infrastructure remain parlous with abject poverty, illegal and ghetto settlements, poor communication and accessibility; ineffectual electricity water and sanitation refuse disposal and housing services. There are peculiarities and factors that drive the urbanisation process. This contribution tries to find meaning for the seemingly intractable developmental nexus vis-à-vis rapid urbanisation within the sub region. Some policy options are proffered as sustainable alternatives to obviate this anomalous state of affairs. LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol.3 () 2006: pp.265-28

Stream flow changes and the challenges of traditional ecological responses in the moist-dry region of Obudu, Cross River State, Nigeria

No Abstract. Global Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 5(1) 2006: 47-5

The Challenges of Waste Disposal in a Secondary City: Calabar Metropolis – Cross River State, Nigeria.

Waste disposal is a major aspect in environmental preservation for healthy living. If neglected could constitute a nuisance and force people to leave rather than live in a city and ultimately despoiling the environment. This paper focuses on the challenges of waste disposal in a secondary city, using Calabar Metropolis as a case study. Data for the study were gathered from field observations and semistructured interviews (SSI) and reviewed literature of journals, periodicals and other published articles. Findings revealed principally that two major parastatals (CUDA and ESU) currently collaborate in this venture to collate, collect and dispose waste in the metropolis; that although the city is noted nationwide as the cleanest in terms of waste disposal, there are still pockets of the city that are still having problems, such as insufficient refuse dump points and, insufficient transport trucks, bad road network, irregular collection and evacuation of waste materials and lack of funds. It is recommended that the government should upgrade roads for easy access by trucks to these areas, develop a comprehensive taxing system that will make all stakeholders in waste generation to pay for the services of collection and disposal, create more refuse dump points and provide more bins, encourage private agencies to partner in waste disposal, create awareness on waste disposal, institute a body to monitor and punish defaulters who fail to comply with regulations, and provide funds for appropriate agencies for prompt and effective waste disposal in the metropolis. With this in place, the environment will be preserved for posterity.LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 5 2008: pp. 388-39

Geospatial modelling of the Obudu cattle ranch Cross River state, Nigeria

No Abstract. Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 4 () 2007: pp.309-32