Religion, Healthcare and African Herbalism
Homegrown African medicine has been severally criticized as irreligious, diabolical and un-theological by its African detractors. Rather, to the detriment of African indigenous medicine, its critics advertize western medicine with the glowing tone of its being the best for healing all kinds of diseases. As a result, many African Christians have developed severe apathy in taking what is their own so as to get the best from the West and, above all, to avoid sinning. This paper, the fruit of a thorough research carried out on the subject matter, reveals that African indigenous medicine is, in fact, not only heavily religious but densely theological. African medicine is also accessible, efficacious, and above all affordable as against the unaffordability and non-accessibility of western medicine. Consequently, a preponderance of the African population living both in rural and urban areas still patronizes the indigenous medicine for their healthcare.
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