Results from Poll #8

Poll #8 asked “Can traditional healers and doctors work together?” The poll was open for a week on the Vijana FM homepage sidebar from October 28th to November 4th.

Results indicated 10 responses:

• 20% responded “No, that’s ridiculous!”
• 70% responded “In some ways, sure”
• 10% responded “Yes, indeed!”
• None responded “I’m not sure”

To follow up, how can traditional healers and doctors work together? Considering that science and tradition are typically pit against one another, where do the overlaps in medicine lie? And how does this affect the healers’ relationship with their patient? Here is one quote from UNESCO that might provide food for thought:

Considering the extremely large proportion of practitioners active around the world and the even larger population calling on their knowledge, traditional health care raises fundamental questions and requires specific reflection to deal with its ethical implications. It entails a different approach to life, death, health and illness, and a different view of the doctor-patient relationship, of health services and of risk factors. [Source]

Another way to think about this would be to consider 20% of the vote: That traditional healers and doctors definitely cannot work together. In what ways do “scientific” and “traditional” medicine differ?

Thank you to all voters and commentators! Discussion welcome below.

Further reading:

• Ethical implications of traditional medicine (UNESCO)
• Can science and alternative medicine shake hands? (Columbia University)
• Erectile dysfunction patients turn to traditional healers (Daily news)
• Watanzania tunaogopa sayansi? Sehemu ya pili (Vijana FM)
• Top 10 reasons to go to Loliondo (Vijana FM)

This week’s poll asks “How objective is local Tanzanian news?” Answer choices are “Very subjective (not objective)”, “Only slightly objective”, “Half objective, half subjective”, “Mostly objective” and “Very objective”. Voting takes place all week on Vijana FM’s homepage sidebar.