TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND FEMALE HERBAL VENDORS IN LAGOS NIGERIA

ABSTRACT: The importance of health in every nation of the world including Nigeria is underscored by the redefinition of national security to include issues of health to make the concept of health security more relevant to the challenges states faced in the Post-Cold War era. For instance, in 2000 the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution identifying HIV/AIDS as a threat to International Peace and Security.7 Health is also the subject of three of the Eight Millennium Development Goals. During the period, health achieved an unprecedented recognition as a key driver of socio economic progress. The protection and promotion of health has also become a measurement of good government at national and international levels. All these have given health an entry into diverse studies by practically every discipline conceivable. The traditional means of healing which was prevalent during the pre colonial days was unfortunately mystifies and demonised in the colonial period. However, the world is beginning to wake up to the reality of the relevance of the practice to the overall desire for health in every ramification. Orthodox medicine and therapy have limitations and deficiencies which may find succour in traditional medicine. This is the reason for recent focus on traditional medical practice. Health is fundamental in human existence. Health issues have dominated several discourses both at national and international levels, yet very little attention has been paid to the theme of Female Herbal Vendors in existing literature on Medical Practice and alternative health therapy in Nigeria. It is this scenario that underscores the importance of this study.
The aim of this study is to examine the nature and impact of the Female Herbal Vendors on health development
in the country. Specific objective include: to determine the nature and patterns of the relationship between
traditional medicine and orthodox practice. The study adopted the multi-disciplinary approach in its analysis. It employs a historical, expository, interpretative and analytical method. Besides, the concepts and analytic tools of the political scientists, economists and sociologists were employed throughout the analysis.