Study on Naturopathy and Public Health in Ghana: A Qualitative inquiry on the Relationship by students of Naturopathy

Background: When combining Naturopathy with Public Health, there is a natural temptation to discover parallels between the two medical systems.Public health, for example, is concerned with disease prevention, promotion, and education. These, too, are intertwined with naturopathic ideas. Using a qualitative analysis, this research examines whether there is a link between Naturopathy and Public Health practises from the perspective of Naturopathic Medical Students, as well as their knowledge and understanding of both fields.

Methods:

A qualitative descriptive questionnaire was distributed via WhatsApp to ten (10) Second Year Diploma in Naturopathic Medical Students at the Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine, Tema, Community 7, Ghana.As part of their Naturopathy education, the students had studied public health.Their responses were abstracted and thematically evaluated.

Findings: Significant statements gleaned from their responses underlined their expertise and comprehension of both Naturopathy and public health challenges.They explained that the two professions are intertwined by juxtaposing the principles that existed in the Naturopathic profession as well as public health.

Conclusion: Naturopathic concepts are deeply rooted in public health.This is because the basic role of public health is described as the science of protecting, preventing, and promoting people's and communities' health. Empowerment, counselling, teamwork, and education are some of the values that govern it. Given the definitions and concepts that govern public health and naturopathy, one may argue that public health is profoundly embedded in the entire field of naturopathy.