Sanaa, Yemen – Mohamed Saif turned to herbal and faith-based treatments last year, despite doctors warning they were not safe or even effective.
The 40-year-old man was taking anticholinergic drugs to treat irritable bowel syndrome. But in a devastated country, warit became nearly impossible for him to receive medical care.
“I couldn’t afford to go to the doctor and I didn’t have anyone to cover my medical costs,” said Saif, who is the sole breadwinner for a family of five.
“I have been taking herbs for over a year and have had no side effects. The only drawback is that they cannot treat most diseases.”
Over the past three years, Yemenis seeking unproven natural remedies has become the norm in many parts of the country, and more people are looking for cheaper ways to treat their illnesses, he said. Ta.
However, these comprehensive treatments are a far cry from the medical care most Yemenis received before the conflict began.
Ignorance is behind the popularization of herbal products. Educated people will not choose this type of treatment. Only the poor and illiterate went to homeopathic centers.
Before 2015, more than 70% of the population had access to healthcare. Currently, none of the country’s major hospitals provide the same level of service as before.
The prices of most medicines have also increased rapidly, with some drugs increasing by more than 300%, making treatment unaffordable for most households.
“Malnutrition and disease are rampant as basic services collapse,” said UNICEF representative in Yemen Meritchel Llerano.
“Those who survive are likely to carry the physical and psychological scars of this conflict for the rest of their lives.”
Rapid increase in customers
Yemen’s civil war intensified in March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition launched a military operation against the Houthi rebels, who had taken control of much of the country.
Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed directly in the fighting and millions have been forced to flee their homes.
The humanitarian situation has worsened further with the Arab Union’s decision to impose even stricter restrictions on the country’s ports.
The de facto blockade, aimed at stemming the flow of arms to the Houthis, has had a debilitating impact on civilians, with more than 18 million Yemenis living in rebel-held areas.
The United Nations says the health system is more unstable than ever, with just 45 percent of facilities left with limited functionality.
“The number of customers is rapidly increasing,” said Ahmed Al Saroli, owner of an alternative medicine center in Sanaa.
“There is an influx of people coming down with skin-related illnesses. I give them either herbal ointments, syrups or powders and the results are as follows. [overwhelmingly] positive. “
Herbs aren’t the only options Sarori offers. He also uses Quranic verses to help some customers.
“We also treat people suffering from black magic and evil eye,” he said.
“Patients only need to sit down and read a few verses from the Quran. Some are treated after several sessions. For those with chronic problems, it takes longer.”
avoidance of unemployment
The transition to alternative medicine is occurring amid worsening economic and social conditions in the country.
In late 2016, Yemen’s government decided to move its central bank from the Houthi-held capital to the southern port city of Aden and largely stopped funding the public health sector.
Due to this situation, many doctors, hospital staff, and approximately 1.2 million civil servants have lost their salaries.
The World Bank said the decision exacerbated the vulnerability of a fragile economy whose gross domestic product (GDP) has cumulatively shrunk by 37.5% since 2015.
Maki Saleh, a science teacher in Sanaa, said:Employment opportunities in the private sector have decreased significantly.
“Some are opening homeopathic centers to earn a living and make ends meet. Their aim is not only to provide health solutions, but also to avoid unemployment.”
Saleh suggested that the popularity of herbal medicine, a cheaper alternative to modern medicine, was due to exorbitant hospital costs.
“Some people prefer alternative medicine because they can’t afford the medical costs. Unfortunately, they may not be able to benefit. [in the long term] And some people may die. ”
‘ignorance’
The fighting on the ground shows no signs of letting up, and Saudi Arabia continues to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets, making the conflict one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Reported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). More than 1 million people infected with cholerathere was also an epidemic of diphtheria, a disease that was once almost eradicated worldwide.
Nasser al-Salahi, a doctor in the capital, said the preventable disease was now a “real threat”.
“Ignorance is behind the popularization of herbal products. Educated people will not choose this kind of treatment. Only the poor and illiterate go to homeopathic centers,” he said.
Salahi blamed the absence of the central government for the opening of unlicensed health centers and lack of oversight.
“While alternative medicine may be fine in a small number of cases, the providers of such services are clearly uninformed and are practicing alternative medicine solely for profit.
“This will pose a huge risk to people’s health in the future.”
