Sustainable Current Trends and Future Directions in Orthodox Medicine Practice in Sierra Leone

The socioeconomic, spiritual, and cultural importance of traditional medicine resonates well with majority of Sierra Leonean who use traditional medicine for healing and income purposes. This chapter discusses the traditional medicines status, opportunities in Sierra Leone and proffer remedies for traditional medicine dosage, challenges, misconception, and the sustainability of traditional medicines for the socioeconomic development of Sierra Leone. It is also believed that traditional healing powers inherited by native Doctors are mostly associated with spiritual powers from ancestral spirits. The sources of traditional medicine range from plant roots, leaves, fruits, animal parts, insects, rodents, birds, among others. Although some plants are prepared by macerating plant leaves in either cold or hot water, others plant parts like the leaves and barks are pounded, sieved, and water added to prepared the infusion for ingesting. Plant parts are in some instance burned to ashes and applied to cure rare illness. Study revealed that traditional medicines are used to cure sicknesses such as malaria, fever, bone fracture, demons, stomach ache, dysentery, piles, among other sicknesses, in Sierra Leone. Two recognized categories of traditional healers are known in Sierra Leone; they are traditional birth attendant and traditional healers commonly known as herbalist. However, the processing of most traditional medicines is complex and complicated. The study concludes that traditional medicines have been contributing to the socioeconomic development of hard to reach communities across Sierra Leone since the precolonial era. This has enabled most herbalist to gained self-employment and recognition through traditional medication and treatment. Nonetheless, traditional knowledge on forests medicines is being threatened by technological advancement and modern civilization in Sierra Leone. In such, the future direction of traditional medicine and its sustainability in Sierra Leone is uncertain due mainly to technological advancement, population growth, and climate change.