Management of fever by traditional and modern medicine in the ndé division: comparative and experimental study

Fever is one of the reasons for consultation in Cameroon. Malaria and typhoid fever are the first incriminated, constitute public health problems in Cameroon. In Bangangté’s Health District, these two diseases are managed by modern medicine and / or traditional practitioners, each according to his approach. This study aims to describe the management of fever by traditional medicine and modern medicine in order to explore the possibilities of collaboration. The methodological approach was based on a cross-sectional study with a sample of 65 patients and 50 health care providers. The data collections tools used was the questionnaires and the interview’s protocol, their practices and their opinions of the care of others. We have also investigated the in vitro efficacy of traditional therapeutics on S typhi and E Coli. The study was conducted in hospitals and traditional healers in the department of Ndé during the period from 02ndJanuary to 30thJune 2018.The patients were submitted to the consensual admission for the treatment of typhoid and malaria in the hospital and a mixture of several plants, parts of plants and eggs usually used by traditional healers. The treatment follow-up criteria were clinical and paraclinical. This study shows that traditional medicine relies more than we think on modern medicine for clinical diagnosis of diseases but, especially for Para clinics. There are informals exchange of patients between these two systems of medicine. The follow-up of the patients in the two systems shows that, in traditional medicine, for these diseases, fever drops as from the second day of treatment whereas with the modern medicine, it is necessary to wait three to four days to observe an improvement. At the 15th day, all the parameters perturbated are normalized for all the Protocols. It appears that the treatment of typhoid with a juice of Ocinum gratissinum, Lemon citrus, egg yolk and that of malaria by a tea made from tuna Ficus thonmigu (bark), Bidens pilosa (leaf), Eremonasta speciase, Ocimum gratissimum (leaf), Cymbopogon citratus (fruit), citrus (fruit) and Aloes vera are effective. An extract based on the potion used to treat typhoid has a bactericidal activity, were better for Salmonella typhi than for Colibacille, confirming the activity of this potion on typhoid fever. Formalized clinical trials deserves to be undertaken on galenic preparations ensuring a better stability of these preparations. Based on this conclusion, we recommendates to health sector decision-makers in Cameroon that, traditional medicine which is often closer to the population, can be integrated into the medicine’s modern circuit for more effective care of patients as in West Africa (Senegal) for example.