Western Medicine in a Community in Ghana: A Social Change Review

Adu-Gyamfi Samuel (), Gyasi Razak Mohammed, Awuah Dennis Baffour, Oware Richard and Ampadu Samuel Kwame
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Adu-Gyamfi Samuel: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of History and Political Studies, PMB, UP KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
Gyasi Razak Mohammed: African Population and Health Research Center,Manga Close, Nairobi, Kenya.
Awuah Dennis Baffour: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of History and Political Studies, PMB, UP KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
Oware Richard: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of History and Political Studies, PMB, UP KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
Ampadu Samuel Kwame: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of History and Political Studies, PMB, UP KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.

Social Change Review, 2019, vol. 17, issue 1, 61-89

Abstract: This study focuses on Western medical practices in the Atiwa District of Ghana. The people of Atiwa District accessed Western medicinal practice to prevent and cure diseases. Before the advent of Western medical practice in the Atiwa District, people were unable to access Western medicine due to the challenges with travelling or trekking from rural communities to the towns where they would find limited Western oriented health centres/hospitals. Although there were challenges, the local population continued to highly embrace practitioners and also accessed the basic Western oriented medical facilities. Western medical strategies were used to combat skin diseases, stomach aches, and malaria that was prevalent in the Atiwa District. The other diseases which afflicted the people and which required urgent attention included cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM), tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS among others. Findings from the study revealed that the introduction and success of western medical practice in the Atiwa District could not have been possible without a positive reception from the indigenous people. Importantly, this study has projected the relevance of public health in the history of the people of Atiwa and the significant roles played by governments to ensure the promotion of good health at the District.

Keywords: Diseases; Social Change; Western Medicine; Public Health; Hospitals; Health Centres; Atiwa District; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:socchr:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:61-89:n:2

DOI: 10.2478/scr-2019-0002

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