JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

The "intrusion" of modern medicine into Africa's health care services has created a competitive environment with the indigenous medical service. The competitiveness and complementarity which exist between the orthodox and native medicines in contemporary Africa have in many ways provided better health services to Africans. It has continued to receive increasing acceptance in Nigeria and among many other African nations despite the ground breaking improvements recorded in the field of orthodox medicine. Evidence of this is a wide proof of its efficacy by its practitioners and patronisers and the recent call by the African Union to give priority to research on African traditional medicine. This paper attempts to bring to fore the efficacy of Traditional Medicine and its immense contributions and progress made so far in health care delivery in Nigeria. As a priority, it investigates into why Traditional Medicine is still finding it difficult to match up with the rapid improvements of orthodox medicine. It will conclude by attempting to bridge these wide gaps between these two forms of medicines by investigating into their methodological approach. This paper will recommend that whatever feat Traditional medicine may achieve, as far as its viable findings are still esoteric, personal, and devoid of any theorization without elements of objectivity and impersonalization, African Medicine will continue to remain miles away from Orthodox Medicine. Much will be gained and many lives saved if adequate attention is given to this long existing medical philosophy.