Abstract
Abstract
Background
COVID-19 has caused worldwide fear and uncertainty. Historically, the biomedical disease paradigm established its dominance in tackling emerging infectious illnesses mainly due to innovation in medication and advances in technology. Traditional and religious remedies have emerged as plausible options for prevention and treatment of COVID-19, especially in Africa and Asia. The appeal of religious and traditional therapies against COVID-19 in the African setting must be understood within the historical, social, and political context. This study explored how women and community members dealt with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Methods
This study was conducted in Nyamagana and Ilemela districts of Mwanza, Tanzania, between July and August 2020. We conducted 18 mobile phone in-depth interviews with a purposively selected sample of women aged 27–57 years participating in an existing longitudinal study. For safety reasons, smart mobile phones were used to collect the data. Each interview was audio recorded after obtaining verbal consent from the participants. The audio files were transferred to computers for analysis. Four researchers conducted a multistage, inductive analysis of the data.
Results
Participants reported wide use and perceived high efficacy of traditional remedies and prayer to prevent and treat suspected symptoms of COVID-19. Use was either alone or combined with public health recommendations such as hand washing and crowd avoidance. Despite acknowledging that a pathogen causes COVID-19, participants attested to the relevance and power of traditional herbal medication and prayer to curb COVID-19. Four main factors underline the symbolic efficacy of the traditional and religious treatment paradigms: personal, communal, and official reinforcement of their efficacy; connection to local knowledge and belief systems; the failure of biomedicine to offer a quick and effective solution; and availability.
Conclusions
In the context of emerging contagious illnesses, communities turn to resilient and trusted treatment paradigms to quell fear and embrace hope. To tackle emerging infections effectively, it is essential to engage the broader sociopolitical landscape, including communal considerations of therapeutic efficacy.
Funder
National Bureau of Economic Research
H2020 European Research Council
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Complementary and alternative medicine,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,Cultural Studies,Health (social science)
Reference33 articles.
1. World Health Organization. WHO Director General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 11 March 2020 https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19%2D%2D-11-march-2020
2. Tarimo CS, Wu J. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Tanzania: recommendations based on lesson learned from China. Trop Med Health. 2020 Apr 26;48(1):25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-020-00214-x.
3. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): situation report-128. 27 May 2020. Accessed June 22 2020.
4. Dandara C, Dzobo K, Chirikure S. COVID-19 pandemic and Africa: from the situation in Zimbabwe to a case for precision herbal medicine. OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology. 2020; ahead of print https://doi.org/10.1089/omi.2020.0099
5. Marsh K, Alobo M. COVID-19: examining theories for Africa’s low death rates. The Conversation, 7th October 2020.
Cited by
22 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献