We cannot neglect the value of herbal medicine despite having the modern ones. For instance, Sierra Leone herbalists like Adama Kabia (48 years old) prepare traditional drugs for the sick. Adama assists patients suffering from different diseases like gonorrhea, blood d diarrhea, and dysentery. Besides, she is also a specialist in helping pregnant women deliver.
Generally, Sierra Leone has only one thousand trained doctors, midwives, and nurses. Still, the country has about 45000 traditional healers who help treat citizens. Adama herbal practice is also known as “Bulumba,” and it brings her steady income. Besides, as a healer and herbalist, the Sierra Leone society trusts her much. However, six years ago, the Ebola outbreak almost changed everything.
Traditional healers ban during the Ebola pandemic.
During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Adama district (Tonkolili) in the Northern Province was mostly affected. People died in large numbers, many of them being Adama neighbors. For that reason, the government banned all traditional healer practices. Indeed, this was a great shock since traditional healing was the primary source of income for her. Furthermore, her identity and the entire community depended on these practices.
Traditional healers were not only banned but also blamed for the spread of Ebola. The authority said they weren’t healing but hurting the citizens. However, at the peak of the pandemic, patients continued to seek help from traditional healers. Although Adama managed to stay safe, many healers died after interacting with the infected.
Nevertheless, Adama finally found another way to make a living after the ban. She opted for gardening and searching for gold to provide for her family. Besides, the Ebola outbreak gave Adama a new view of reality. As time passed, the state chose to ask support from the conventional healers. Still, Sierra Leone medical board couldn’t afford to exclude the traditional medicine. Therefore, healers like Adama and medical experts spread awareness to the community on how to defeat the virus.
Adama new Role
Although traditional healers and medical experts reached an agreement during the Ebola pandemic, there is still some friction between the two. When herbs fail to treat a disease, people reach out to medical facilities in despair. As a result, sometimes people lose their lives, being late for treatment.
On the other hand, traditional healers face a threat growing from their livelihood and community. For instance, people trust in low-cost clinics, leaving no demand for herbal medicine. However, Tokolili region is coming up with a program to bridge the gap. With the help of Adama, NGO finds that spreading drugs to various areas is successful.
In other words, many people are now visiting clinics because of Adama advice. Furthermore, she talked to medical staff about how to develop the community. Sure, this is the kind of role model the society needs. She also helped a pregnant woman by the name Mariatu to deliver.
Conclusion
In my opinion, we should not overlook the traditional healers. Sure, they played a significant role before the inventory of today’s medicine. During this trying time of the Coronavirus, the traditional herbalists should also have a chance to fight. Besides, giving them an opportunity is a step towards a better tomorrow.
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