Medicine and anthropology in twentieth century Africa: Akan medicine and encounters with (medical) anthropology

摘要: Introduction In twentieth century southern and eastern Africa, "traditional" medicine was the dominant healing system often regarded as more appropriate mode of treatment by specialists recipients. [1] Stretching from Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Zambia to Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, indigenous African systems remained highly utilized large segments (rural) populations surveyed. [2] These perspectives on use were shared parallel in geographically distinct places such New Zealand, Hawaii, United States among persons ancestry. [3] Overall, healers Ghana elsewhere rarely translated their knowledge into social practices that emphasized omnipresent dichotomies "spiritual" "natural" disease causation nor did praxis revolve around debates witchcraft existence or denial "medical systems" found medical anthropology. Akan central I would suspect elsewhere, unaware perhaps care little about substance those debates. Since 1920s, there has been a foreground fluctuating therapeutics anthropology Africa. circular have stubbornly focused ubiquity "witchcraft," natural supernatural basis therapeutics, integration between biomedicine healing, but failed excavate relevance these issues background societies. [4] This essay argues failure locate therapeutic matters may not be important concerns societies is academic quest for "ethnographic cases" lend themselves field rather than (i.e., Africa). contention critical it strategic distinction two sites production--field "field" Africa where fieldwork conducted--on larger canvas global health using local case Bono (Akan) Ghana. Contextually, conditioned structural adjustment Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiatives 1980s 1990s, collapsing structures, emergence spread HIV/AIDS, confrontation pharmaceutical companies governments, lawsuits brought multinationals against governments seeking less-expensive drug alternatives. The guidelines issued World Health Organization (purported ensure sustainability safety sixty billion dollars herbal industry) humanitarian medicine--poisonings, heart problems, addition steroids plant medicines, poor quality collection practices--continue plague States, China, Europe. U.S. industry spent $4.1 research development 1990s consumers purchased excess eight dollars. 74 percent chemical compounds 119 known plant-derived drugs same related plants they derive, this exploits medicinal "claims alien cultures" "discovery" new drugs. [5] As industries Canada, European Union, Japan become knowledge-intensive, "as what constitutes national wealth shifts resource endowments toward acquisition, manipulation, application knowledge," ownership marshaling never so crucial. [6] consideration foregoing, "Western" world extracts brokered business interests ministries perpetuate colonial ideas medicine, could timely. …