African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing
The traditional healers are a source of health care for which Africans have always paid. Even with the expansion of modern medicine, healers are still popular and command fees exceeding the average treatment cost at most modern practitioners. Are t...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/05/1574609/african-traditional-healers-economics-healing http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10806 |
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okr-10986-108062021-06-14T10:58:46Z African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing Leonard, Kenneth L. ASTHMA DOCTORS EMPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE HEALTH ECONOMICS HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEMS HOSPITALS ILLNESSES MALARIA MEDICATION MODERN MEDICINE PARENTS PATIENTS PHYSICIANS RURAL HEALTH CARE SMOKING SURGERY TRADITIONAL HEALERS TRADITIONAL MEDICINE HEALTH ECONOMICS The traditional healers are a source of health care for which Africans have always paid. Even with the expansion of modern medicine, healers are still popular and command fees exceeding the average treatment cost at most modern practitioners. Are traditional healers miracle workers or are they charlatans? Clearly either view is too extreme. Traditional healers are not perfect. Nor, however, can they be charlatans. This article advances a view of traditional healers that relies on neither supernatural power nor manifest ignorance. It suggests that healers remain popular despite abundant modern medicine because they have wisely used an important economic contract to the mutual benefit of their practice and the population they serve. While the contrasts between traditional medicine and modern medicine are many, the article focuses on the differences in the way traditional and modern healers are paid. An important element of their practice has been previously ignored: traditional healers receive the bulk of their payment only if the patient is cured. 2012-08-13T13:10:12Z 2012-08-13T13:10:12Z 2001-05 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/05/1574609/african-traditional-healers-economics-healing http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10806 English Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Notes; No. 32 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Brief Publications & Research Africa |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
ASTHMA DOCTORS EMPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE HEALTH ECONOMICS HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEMS HOSPITALS ILLNESSES MALARIA MEDICATION MODERN MEDICINE PARENTS PATIENTS PHYSICIANS RURAL HEALTH CARE SMOKING SURGERY TRADITIONAL HEALERS TRADITIONAL MEDICINE HEALTH ECONOMICS |
| spellingShingle |
ASTHMA DOCTORS EMPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE HEALTH ECONOMICS HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH STATUS HEALTH SYSTEMS HOSPITALS ILLNESSES MALARIA MEDICATION MODERN MEDICINE PARENTS PATIENTS PHYSICIANS RURAL HEALTH CARE SMOKING SURGERY TRADITIONAL HEALERS TRADITIONAL MEDICINE HEALTH ECONOMICS Leonard, Kenneth L. African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing |
| geographic_facet |
Africa |
| relation |
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Notes; No. 32 |
| description |
The traditional healers are a source of
health care for which Africans have always paid. Even with
the expansion of modern medicine, healers are still popular
and command fees exceeding the average treatment cost at
most modern practitioners. Are traditional healers miracle
workers or are they charlatans? Clearly either view is too
extreme. Traditional healers are not perfect. Nor, however,
can they be charlatans. This article advances a view of
traditional healers that relies on neither supernatural
power nor manifest ignorance. It suggests that healers
remain popular despite abundant modern medicine because they
have wisely used an important economic contract to the
mutual benefit of their practice and the population they
serve. While the contrasts between traditional medicine and
modern medicine are many, the article focuses on the
differences in the way traditional and modern healers are
paid. An important element of their practice has been
previously ignored: traditional healers receive the bulk of
their payment only if the patient is cured. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Brief |
| author |
Leonard, Kenneth L. |
| author_facet |
Leonard, Kenneth L. |
| author_sort |
Leonard, Kenneth L. |
| title |
African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing |
| title_short |
African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing |
| title_full |
African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing |
| title_fullStr |
African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing |
| title_full_unstemmed |
African Traditional Healers : The Economics of Healing |
| title_sort |
african traditional healers : the economics of healing |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/05/1574609/african-traditional-healers-economics-healing http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10806 |
| _version_ |
1764414445405077504 |