Cultural Health Barriers in Sierra Leone

For instance, many Sierra Leone communities rely on traditional healers and the power of witch doctors. These tradition al medics and witch doctors use herbal medicines, verbal chants, massage, and witchcraft to treat any kind of ailment. Most Sierra Leones find it difficult to adapt to the foreign concepts of medical practices. Shockingly, African resistance to western medicine is widespread in the Western Africa and particularly in Sierra Leone. Most people in the region do not trust western medical personnel or just anyone who has acquired training on form of medicine. The medical intervention in this region was greatly hampered by cultural practices that are deeply entrenched in the society. Some locals complained that even though modern medicine helped to minimize the effects of the Ebola virus, their cultural fabric was negatively impacted (De Allegri et al.

For instance, sick persons were isolated from their loved ones to minimize the spread of the virus. Being part of the larger African community, people in Sierra Leone has a cultural norm of nursing the sick irrespective of the nature of the disease. To stand by the sick is a sign of solidarity and togetherness. The deceased is also kissed during the funeral. This is practice is not risky to contact Ebola but it is generally unhealthy. There are instances where an entire family is wiped out due to getting into contact with infected persons. Funerals in Sierra Leone are considered as major cultural events. The family, friends, and neighbors gather around in large numbers to celebrate the life of the deceased.

This grudge gradually developed mistrust, and word started spreading around that foreign medicine is another problem to the community. Witch doctors and traditional healers warned people to stop visiting hospitals. Some people still believe that they will die when they visit a health facility or by simply consuming a western medicine. This belief leads to more casualties thus imposing a health barrier. Since the community did not trust western medicine, some families hid their sick loved depriving them from receiving medical attention. Conspiracy theory that western medicine is the cause of the virus was also conceptualized. Some local musicians were also reported to had composed songs blaming the pandemic on western medicine. There is a belief that western doctors internationally use foreign medicine to kill local patients.