Journal des maladies infectieuses et de la thérapie

Abstrait

Symbolic Representations and Treatment of Health in African Traditional Medicine: The Example of Malaria in Baoulé-Agba of Côte d’Ivoire

Kouakou Bah Jean-Pierre

This study was accomplished from focus groups and from semi-directive discussions with chiefdoms and traditional therapist in Baoulé-agba’s communities in Côte d’Ivoire. It allowed understanding the link between symbolic representations and levels of treatment in traditional medicine from the example of malaria.
Three symbolic representations characterize malaria in Baoulé-agba’s medical culture. It is symbolisms linked to the animal, to color and to physical force. Wildlife symbol is the cat which certain elements bring closer to the sick man of malaria. The coloring of certain parts of the body of the sick man of malaria points out the degree of seriousness of disease. In effect, color allows differentiating the white malaria of the yellow malaria. The symbolism of physical force establishes difference between the male malaria and the female malaria or the serious malaria and the simple malaria.
These symbolisms constitute indicators of seriousness or lesser seriousness of the malaria and they orientate the therapeutic route based in general on traditional medicine. This one is composed of three levels of therapeutic appeals according to the degree of seriousness of disease.
The symbolic representations, which characterize the socio-cultural perception of Baoulé-Agba linked to the malaria, constitute reference elements for the efficient fight against this disease in this community.