Traditional Medicine in Central Africa
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 109,
May 2019
(pp. 516-20)
Abstract
In many settings, traditional medicine is a popular, accessible, and affordable alternative to modern medicine. Understanding the determinants of the use of traditional medicine is important because it is widespread and because of the growing evidence of mistrust in modern medicine. We examine the historical and present day correlates of knowledge and use of traditional medicine in Central Africa. We find that type of colonial contact matters for present day traditional medicine use and that belief in witchcraft predicts more use of traditional medicine. We suggest that traditional healers may play an important role in rebuilding trust in modern medicine.Citation
Lowes, Sara, and Eduardo Montero. 2019. "Traditional Medicine in Central Africa." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 109: 516-20. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20191095Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I11 Analysis of Health Care Markets
- I15 Health and Economic Development
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration