Abstract:
Traditional medicine and healing is a cultural heritage that forms part and parcel of a people’s intrinsic reality. It is the basis for all medicines, developed by different cultures of the world. Among traditional societies, this form of healing still remains the main source of treatment for various kinds of ailments. The advent of Western civilizations and the concomitant age of globalizations brought numerous challenges on this form of health care delivery. Some of these challenges were initiated by the Christian Missionaries and Colonial masters whose mission and ambition was to dislodge the people’s cultural belief and their traditional way of life for the Western culture. The resultant effect of this ambition was criticisms and prejudice on the part of the foreigners, and conservatism and total refusal to conform to the wind of change by the traditional medicine men. This research work hinges on the challenges of Tiv traditional healing in the era of globalizations. Attempts were made to reexamine the efficacy of traditional medicine, effects of modernization, industrialization, urbanization and globalization on traditional medicine and healing. It had been established that despite the challenges, growing influence of modern science and technological advancement, Tiv traditional medicine and healing still maintains its patronage from members of the society. The achievement in handling some life saving situations in the past to the present times indicates its efficacy. In recognition of its contributions to health care delivery, the World Health Organization and other well meaning organizations and concerned individuals are advocating for its integration into the global health system.
