African traditional medicine and healing in South Africa: Challenges and prospects before and during Covid 19

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants as a fundamental component of the traditional African healthcare system is perhaps the oldest and most varied of all  therapeutic systems. Traditional healers who prescribe medicinal plants are the most accessible and affordable health resource available to local communities in many parts of rural Africa, and sometimes the only surviving treatment. Most people in South Africa prefer to use traditional  medicine / medicinal plants rather than Western medicine because they believe that traditional medicine is more efficient, accessible and  affordable. However, in spite of these developments, traditional medicine has been ignored and its importance underplayed by indigenous communities. It is in this context that this paper examines challenges of traditional medicines in South Africa and prospects for traditional medicine and healing. The paper will also state the significance of African traditional medicine, its uses amongst indigenous communities and argue that they have potential for present and future clinical examinations.

Key words: Traditional medicine, African traditional medicine, traditional health practitioners, traditional healing, health care