Culture and Health

Culture is a complete whole, including knowledge, belief, customs, art, morals, law, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society [1]. Different cultures, from their perspective, define the concept of disease and illness. Both material and non-material cultures are responsible for health. Nepal is where eastern and non-western, original or indigenous, has prevailed. According to its culture, illness and disease may be ascribed by 1. Wrath of gods and goddesses, including unfavourable planetary effects 2. Evil spirits 3. Sorcery 4. Witchcraft and evil eyes, and Breach of taboos [2]. Healers or shamans in the community have carried out the culture of traditional medication. They are called Dhami, Jhakri, Ojha, Phedanba, Bijuwa, priest, pandit, vaidya, Lhama, etc. Positive aspects of non-western medication culture are as follows: It comes under the categories of psychosocial support therapies and clinical or therapeutic acts, predominantly indigenous pharmacopoeias. It is of comprehensive man-environment setting. There is a virtual consensus among anthropologists that psychosocial supportive, non-western medicine is often remarkably effective. There are numerous time-tested healthy practices exist in Nepali culture. Negative aspects of Non-western culture are as follows: - There are so many unscientific, dangerous, and complicated practices that harm directly or indirectly to the health of the patient. Sometimes it may act offensive to someone unknown and innocent people in the name of the witch, evil eyes, or being a cause of someone's disease or death. The health system comprises both the public and private sectors, both western/modern medicine and traditional medicine. Traditional medication has been seated and deep-rooted socially as well as culturally. It is still considered affordable economically due to the growing cost of modern drugs. Culture is one of the significant determinants of the health of a human being from its womb to its tomb. We should conduct research and review traditional medications and cultural practices. We need to educate traditional healers. Traditional healers or faith healers could do their job by referring acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases, diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis, leprosy, malaria, kala-azar, and other infectious diseases to health institutions. National campaigns such as vitamin A distribution and health education campaigns should make people aware of traditional healers based on community participation.