TRADITIONAL MEDICINES, NATUROPATHY AND ENERGY HEALING IN CAMEROON: POPULAR PRACTICES, CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS AND COMPLEMENTARITY WITH CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE IN LOW HEALTHCARE COVERAGE AREAS

Temfack Vopé Ronyl*, Fokunang Charles, Mengue Mezui Germain, Tadjiofo Kengni Arsène, Guimfack Achille, Bohono Okogo Édouard, Ndoukeu Jaurès, Tiogning Mouaffo Arthur Garcien, Inès Essam Aye, Hemes Nkwa, Njume Peter, Ngondete Bejuristin, Ngombo Stéphane,
Njinko Nono Borgia Legrand and Donfagsiteli Nehemie, Tembe-Fokunang Estella Achick

ABSTRACT

Background: Cameroon presents a particularly contrasted dual health profile. On one side, a conventional medicine concentrated in major cities and accessible to less than 30% of the rural population, with only 3% of Cameroonians covered by health insurance. On the other, a set of non-conventional therapeutic practices — traditional medicines, naturopathy, energy healing and spiritual practices — used by more than 70% of populations for their primary healthcare needs. This dual reality fundamentally challenges national health policy and the system’s capacity to integrate, in a coordinated and safe manner, the richness of popular care practices. Objective: This study aims to analyze popular non-conventional care practices in Cameroon, explore the cultural representations of illness and healing that underlie them, and assess the complementary potential of traditional medicines, naturopathy and energy healing vis-à-vis conventional medicine, with particular attention to areas with low healthcare coverage. Methods: We conducted a qualitative documentary review with an anthropological approach, combining data from French and English academic literature on Cameroonian and African traditional medicine, institutional reports (WHO, Ministry of Public Health, World Bank), and documented testimonies and case studies on non-conventional care practices in Cameroon.

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