Integrating modern and herbal medicines in controlling malaria: experiences of orthodox healthcare providers in Ghana
Ampomah, Irene G., Ampomah, Genevieve A., and Emeto, Theophilus I. (2024) Integrating modern and herbal medicines in controlling malaria: experiences of orthodox healthcare providers in Ghana. Archives of Public Health, 82 (1). 240.
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Abstract
Background: In Ghana, the government has integrated herbal medicine into the formal healthcare system in response to widespread use of traditional remedies. However, empirical evidence supporting the contribution of integrated healthcare to malaria control remains limited. This study employed a phenomenological qualitative research design to explore the experiences of medical doctors and pharmacists from the coastal, forest and savannah regions of Ghana regarding the integration of modern and herbal medicine in the treatment and control of malaria. Donabedian’s framework for evaluating the quality of healthcare served as the foundational theoretical framework for this research.
Methods: Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews involving 26 participants and analysed using a framework analytical approach.
Results: The findings revealed that inadequate political commitment to the practice of integration has led to several challenges, including the high cost of herbal anti-malaria medications, limited promotional activities surrounding integration, a shortage of qualified medical herbalists, inconsistent supply chains for herbal anti-malaria treatments, and a lack of standardisation in herbal medicine practices. Participants had divergent views regarding the impact of integration on malaria control; while medical doctors believed that the intervention has not significantly contributed to reducing malaria prevalence in Ghana, pharmacists viewed the presence of herbal clinics within government hospitals as an effective and sustainable alternative for treating malaria.
Conclusion: Reflecting on these results, it is imperative for policymakers to explore strategies that could enhance the effectiveness of an integrated health system, thereby increasing the contribution of herbal medicine towards achieving a malaria free nation. Future research could benefit from including policymakers, heads of health directorates, and community members, regarding the role of public health interventions in addressing health inequities in Ghana.
| Item ID: | 87133 |
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| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 2049-3258 |
| Keywords: | Healthcare providers, Herbal medicine, Malaria, Public health, System integration |
| Copyright Information: | © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Nov 2025 23:04 |
| FoR Codes: | 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4206 Public health > 420699 Public health not elsewhere classified @ 100% |
| SEO Codes: | 20 HEALTH > 2001 Clinical health > 200104 Prevention of human diseases and conditions @ 50% 20 HEALTH > 2001 Clinical health > 200105 Treatment of human diseases and conditions @ 50% |
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