Naturopathy; History and Progress Made in the Ghanaian Jurisdiction

Abstract

We examine the history and development of Naturopathic practice in Ghana. We adopted a two-stage qualitative research design, which includes a semi-structured key informant interview accompanied by a document search with the primary stakeholder who is the President of the Ghana Alternative Medicine Practitioners (GAMPA) association at the Ministry of Health who was identified through a process of the Key Informant Technique. Information collected from the key informant was triangulated with documentation under his purview in the archives from his office and other literature searches. A narrative analysis was then carried out. Early and the majority of current Naturopaths received their education through a correspondence system of education.  The first Naturopathic Medical School which had developed the first-ever higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelors in Technology Naturopathy under the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Trainings (CTVET) is yet to receive program accreditation. Also, the lack of standardized education in Ghana has averted the development of the industry to enable the achievement of the full potential of the Ghanaian healthcare system. Conclusion: Naturopathy has gained huge momentum in Ghana. Our result demonstrates the history of proceedings that occurred in the Naturopathic profession space in Ghana from the 1960s to the modern era.