Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39710695›Full record

ArticleArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2024

Integrating modern and herbal medicines in controlling malaria: experiences of orthodox healthcare providers in Ghana.

Irene G Ampomah, Genevieve A Ampomah, Theophilus I Emeto

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Public Health Perspectives on IntegratingTropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Irene G AmpomahDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, UC 182, Ghana. irene.ampomah@my.jcu.edu.au.
Genevieve A AmpomahDepartment of Sociology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Theophilus I EmetoPublic Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland , 4811, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Ghana, the government has integrated herbal medicine into the formal healthcare system in response to widespread use of traditional remedies. However, empirical evidence supporting the contribution of integrated healthcare to malaria control remains limited. This study employed a phenomenological qualitative research design to explore the experiences of medical doctors and pharmacists from the coastal, forest and savannah regions of Ghana regarding the integration of modern and herbal medicine in the treatment and control of malaria. Donabedian's framework for evaluating the quality of healthcare served as the foundational theoretical framework for this research.

methodsData were collected through individual in-depth interviews involving 26 participants and analysed using a framework analytical approach.

resultsThe findings revealed that inadequate political commitment to the practice of integration has led to several challenges, including the high cost of herbal anti-malaria medications, limited promotional activities surrounding integration, a shortage of qualified medical herbalists, inconsistent supply chains for herbal anti-malaria treatments, and a lack of standardisation in herbal medicine practices. Participants had divergent views regarding the impact of integration on malaria control; while medical doctors believed that the intervention has not significantly contributed to reducing malaria prevalence in Ghana, pharmacists viewed the presence of herbal clinics within government hospitals as an effective and sustainable alternative for treating malaria.

conclusionReflecting on these results, it is imperative for policymakers to explore strategies that could enhance the effectiveness of an integrated health system, thereby increasing the contribution of herbal medicine towards achieving a malaria free nation. Future research could benefit from including policymakers, heads of health directorates, and community members, regarding the role of public health interventions in addressing health inequities in Ghana.

Indexed as

Healthcare providersHerbal medicineMalariaPublic healthSystem integration

Identifiers

PMID39710695
PMCPMC11665210

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