Cultural Competency - Multicultural Health Generalizations: African
Caring for Patients from Somalia
- Somalis
- Somali Culture
- Voices of the Somali Community
- Communicating with Your Somali Patient
- Diet and Physical Activity in the Somali Community
Somalian Traditional Medicine Modalities
Three, of many, Somalian traditional medicine modalities are: fire-burning, herbal remedies and healing ceremonies.
- Fire-burning: The practice of heating a stick from a special tree until the stick glows and is then applied to the skin is believed to cure some illnesses.
- Herbal remedies: Herbs and readings from the Koran are used to treat seizures. The herb habakhedi is used to treat stomachaches and backaches, while rashes and sore throats are treated with a tea made from the herb dinse.
- Healing ceremonies: Traditional healers perform ceremonies to cure illnesses such as fever, headache, dizziness and weakness, which are thought to be caused by spirits. These ceremonies, designed to appease the spirits, involve reading from the Koran, eating special foods, and burning incense.
Source: "Common Beliefs & Cultural Practices". The Provider's Guide to Quality & Culture. Management Sciences for Health
http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=5.1.1.htm&module=provider&language=English
African Women and Geophagia
- Geophagia is the consumption of soil, clay, or chalk.
- Geophagia is common among pregnant African women, particularly in Kenya and Ghana.
- Consumption of soil has been considered a craving of the developing fetus and a characteristic of pregnancy. It has also been used to alleviate morning sickness.
- Certain soils or clays are chosen depending on taste and/or cravings. For example, termite soil is preferred for its saltiness, and gray clay soil is preferred for its sweetness.
- Soil and clay consumption can cause nausea and diarrhea, while lead found in soil and clay may cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
- Although geophagia is not perceived as deviant behavior among pregnant African women, it may be perceived as a psychological disorder or possession by spirits if great amounts of soil are consumed.
Source: Africa: Maternal and reproductive health beliefs. American Public Health Association.
(Online). http://www.apha.org/ppp/red/afrbeliefs.htm (2002, Feb. 1).
Somali Postpartum Practices
- An herb called malmal could be applied to the newborn's umbilicus for the first 7 days of life.
- Newborn care could include warm water baths, sesame oil massages, and passive stretching of the baby's limbs.
- When a child is born, the mother and baby stay at home and indoors for 40 days, a period known as afatanbah.
- During this time, female relatives and friends visit the family and help take care of the newborn and mother. This includes preparing special foods such as soup, porridge, and special teas.
- Incense (myrrh) is burned twice a day in order to protect the baby from the ordinary smells of the world, which are believed to have the potential of making the baby sick.
- At the end of these 40 days, a celebration takes place at the home of a friend or relative. This marks the first time the mother and baby have left home since delivery.
- A naming ceremony for the child is also commemorated. This usually occurs within the first 2-3 weeks of the baby's life or at the time of concluding the afatanbah celebration. These ceremonies are big family gatherings with lots of food and prayers.
Source: Lewis, T. Somali cultural profile. (Online). Ethnomed in collaboration with the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center Comments.
http://www.ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/somali/somali_cp.html#post_part
