Self-medication within the context of medical pluralism in Yaounde, Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: this paper documents the experiences of patients who use the knowledge and practices of the "African chemist", and the determinants of this therapeutic recourse in their ‘quest for therapy’ as ‘quest for relief’ within the context of medical pluralism in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods: the study adopts a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodological approach comprised of 30 individual in-depth interviews and the administration of 100 questionnaires to participants. Results: this study neither found that self-medication is wholely nor exclusively preoccupied with therapy for minor physical ailments, but also for diseases and problems with perceived supernatural undertones and for the achievement of personal success and desires. It suggests that social relations, personal experiences and perceptions of trust are central to the choice of the ‘African pharmacy’ as a therapeutic recourse. Conclusion: the popularity of this informal healthcare institution that can be categorized neither under traditional healing nor under modern medicine contradicts the focus on the latter stages of the illness referral system when a patient seeks help from a specialist. This practical case of medical pluralism articulates the need to focus on the local context, on the everyday realities of illness and therapy seeking and to prioritise experiences and social relations that are often obscured in health statistics and development policies.