Reproductive pathologies according to diagnosis in the local healthcare system among the Ngomalá of Batoufam in the Western Cameroon

Abstract: This paper examines possible origins of reproductive disorders as determined by diagnosis in its primarily endogenous approach, without excluding that of so-called conventional medicine. This reflection dwells on the knowledge of Ngomalá ethnomedicine to show how health practitioners work to identify reproductive disorders in women and men. It reports on the typology of pathologies identified through diagnosis according to the healthcare systems in the Ngomalá ethnic society in Batoufam, with the aim of preparing each patient to receive treatments suited to their condition. Data were collected from 19 therapists and 19 patients identified through snowball sampling and purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. It follows from this that reproductive disorders are grouped into two categories, including “apparent pathologies,” that is, those mainly treated with medication, and “non-apparent pathologies,” whose treatment requires the performance of endogenous magical-religious rituals before any medicinal treatment.