Akan Healthcare Delivery System and Its Effect on Modern Healthcare Practice in Ghana

Authors

  • JOHN kwaku Opoku KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
  • Eric Manu
  • Victor Selorme Gedzi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v8i9.1698

Keywords:

Akan Religion, Culture, Healthcare, Knowledge System

Abstract

In  many  societies,  medicinal  knowledge  including  healthcare  delivery  is  associated  with  cultural  and religious traditions. Among the Akan of Ghana, cultural knowledge about healthcare includes beliefs and practices as well as the use of expressions of culture in accordance with indigenous laws and mores. In this paper, we argue that despite the external influence by modernity and scientific developments, Akan cultural and religious  traditions  in  healthcare have proven worthy in addressing many health needs of the countless poor among the Akan and other socio-cultural groups in Ghana.  The research approach was qualitative and a cross sectional  survey involving  a  sample  size  of  200  individuals.  The paper identified that Akan religion and cultural knowledge about medicine/healthcare continues to play tremendous roles in many communities, even though it has not been fully officially accepted and acknowledged in Ghana. The existence of indigenous healthcare with other forms of medical care has positive impact on the socio-economic life and total well-being of the people. There is, therefore, the need to tap more into this religio-cultural knowledge on medicine and healthcare.

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2019-09-28

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