hinders an individual to perform his duties as
expected by society, a form of deviance. A state of
ill health or illness is not natural nor is it a matter
of chance. Any occurrence has an explanation.
Notions of probability and coincidence are
foreign to the African belief system. There are
natural and unnatural illnesses.
Chavunduka distinguishes between normal and
abnormal illness. Symptoms of normal or natural
illness disappear quickly with little or no treat-
ment. Natural illnesses are headaches, coughs,
and stomach aches. But illnesses that persist and
resist cure by simple medicine are believed to have
been caused by supernatural happenings. A
diviner is consulted for diagnosis. The diviner may
diagnose the cause of an illness as an ancestor
spirit that may want to possess the victim and has
to be honored by ritual sacrifice. The spirits may
also punish their living descendents if they have
committed an offense.
The diviner may also diagnose illness as caused
by witchcraft or sorcery by an enemy or an aveng-
ing spirit, such as that of a person who died as a
result of murder. There are preventive measures
that are done to restore health. If illness is caused
by a witch, the diviner will break the power of
witchcraft; if it is spirit possession, the patient
should accept the spirit possession in order to be
well. Usually the diviner will prescribe medicine to
restore health. Charms or amulets are also given
by diviners.
There are also preventative measures that the
diviner may apply. He may recommend perfor-
mance of a ritual that involves pouring tobacco
and libation in order to appease the anger of spir-
its so that they will protect the sick person from
attack by supernatural causes of illness. Once the
rituals are performed, health is restored. The indi-
vidual recovers and attains full health. So the state
of good health is holistic because it covers the
physical, social, and spiritual well-being of the
individual and society.
Positive Well-BeingHealth is also linked to a state of peace and seren-
ity considered as well-being. A good state of
health is naturally concomitant with stability that
covers human beings and nature. This is experi-
enced from culture, environment, and harmonious
relationships with one’s spiritual elders, which
bring peace and happiness. This state of good
health also relates to success and prosperity in all
spheres of life, such as agriculture, hunting, and
marriage. Health and well-being can also be expe-
rienced in the contexts of abundant rainfall, fertil-
ity of land and people, fields bearing fruits, flocks
and herds multiplying, and bumper harvests. Such
a state of good health of the land and people is
desirable and healthy, free from its opposite states
of misfortune, sickness, and death.
In the African experience, health is an expres-
sion of the state of spiritual cosmos. The tradi-
tional worldview is abundant with belief in God
and ancestors who take care of the living descen-
dants. A healthy society is that which has a harmo-
nious relationship with spirits, positive execution
of morality, practice of good conduct, and commu-
nal living. Ill practices such as incest, murder,
violation of taboos, and so on create problems and
dislocate harmonious relations. When harmony is
broken, the living make steps to address the anom-
aly and restore right relationships. Life is regarded
as a special gift from God. Health is thus viewed as
fullness of life. So for the religious Africans, it is
the harmonious integration of the spiritual powers
with the will of the living to produce a balanced
physical and cosmological order.Health Care
In their effort to attain good health, traditional
healers in Africa have formed various National
Associations that include several thousands of men
and women. The associations are registered and
recognized by governments. They operate along-
side African Independent church healers who
believe in faith healing. Both health systems offer
alternative therapy to Western scientific medicine.
Generally, there are four determinants of
health: human biology, environment, lifestyle, and
health care organization. So in Africa, people sus-
tain good health through access to nutritious tra-
ditional foodstuffs. People also make efforts to
sustain health by introducing herbal gardens that
grow traditional plants and produce traditional
medicines. The aim is to support and maintain
traditional scientific, cultural, and environmental
benefits. Health is therefore achieved through
sustainable use of medicinal plants.Health 311