Traditional medicine and its impact on the environment
4 min read
By Margaret Kamba
Home remedies and traditional medicines among them garlic, zumbani, ginger and guchu which is a concoction of various tree roots and bark and sometimes leaves have time and again proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are effective in curing various ailments. While the arguments about toxicity levels have made some people dread using them and then of course the notion that traditional medicine is used by nangas have resulted in the shunning of this as an alternative for medical treatment.
There is however no doubt that traditional medicine and home remedies coupled with a good balanced diet helps keep diseases at bay. Thanks to these, many have survived the dreadful COVID-19 which has killed many of our beloved friends and family.
The World Health Organisation WHO recently released a report on how medical waste generated from COVID-19 poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. According to the report poor disposal of the face masks, surgical syringes, old vaccine bottles and test kits among others has negative impact on the environment and human health.
The report clearly speaks to our society looking at how the face masks can be found literally everywhere and in some instances with children picking them up from litter dumps dotted in our neighbourhoods. This is unlike in the medical institutions where the colour-coded bins red, yellow and black clearly distinguish the highly hazardous medical waste from the less harzadous.
While the 3Rs principle of reduce, reuse and recycle has been encouraged, not many of us have actually put it into practice. What makes this the preferred alternative is that their impact to the environment is next to nothing compared to the white man’s medicine.
Cde Xaviers Muchemwa says there was a cultural way of disposing of used traditional medicine and it was for a good reason.
“Long ago used traditional medicine would be disposed of in dug pits or anthills. There was never a time that one would burn it because it was believed that if they did, bad omens would follow them. The failure to uphold these cultural values and norms is because there has been no assimilation of ideas from the elders to the young people hence some the problems we face today.”
Cde Zenzo Ncube reiterated that the failure to pass on this cultural knowledge has resulted in weaker generations.
“It was known as we grew up that the Venda, Changani, Tonga or Nguni people were protected from a lot of bad omens by administering traditional medicine seen through incisions on different parts of the body. This new generation is theoretical and church oriented and this is the reason why they are weak.”
Cde Samuel Gumisiro Dhliwayo noted that when God created man, his survival was meant to be on flora and fauna.
“Humans have senses unlike other animals which is why we have the Faculty of Medicine to determine what humans require. However what brought about the doctor and the nurse was the white man in order to control us. The white man did not recognize the traditional healer which is why he called him n’anga resulting in us hating ourselves and our fathers who are traditional healers even when he taught us to eat healthy food like pumpkin leaves.”
Cde Nobert Sibanda highlighted that unlike the white man’s medicine, the traditional medicine did not bring destruction to the environment.
“Long ago traditional medicine would be made and stored in clay pots and not bottles like today. During its shelf life, it would be given to the whole family and sometimes beyond it. Once its lifespan had outlived its purpose, it would be discarded in a pit and clay pots cleaned before more medicine is concocted. The harvesting of the tree roots, leaves and tree bark was systematic as no ring barking was allowed. No tree was felled for the purposes of making traditional medicine.”
Cde Marjorie Ndhlovu noted that the thriving of the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industries would never allow the promotion of local traditional medicines or their research.
“We spend a lot of money importing the white man’s medicines because we have no confidence in our own traditional medicines. This is why research on it seems to have dragged on for long and yet such pandemics as the COVID-19 have opened opportunities for us to build our own industries and promote local traditional medicines. Why is it so hard to simply say a man or woman who heals with traditional medicines is a doctor? Why do they have to be affiliated to an organization and seek approval? Such big terms as toxicity levels in the use of traditional medicines also follow in the white man’s medicine through such words as overdose among others. We must instill confidence in what is our own because it has been passed through generations and can be found locally.”
While it goes without saying that we live in a global village to which we must fit into, it remains our utmost responsibility to adopt some changes that are not detrimental to us as a people.
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