The Effect of Superstitions on African Development (Essay Sample)

The Effect of Superstitions on African Development
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The Effect of Superstitions on African Development
African nations are home to many cultures and ethnics groups with several languages. Throughout history, superstitions have influenced these cultures and communities and are frequently tied to beliefs and practices concerning luck, prophecy, and certain supernatural beings (Vyse, 2000). As a result, these superstitions give rise to inadequate medical care, lack of education and, in the worst case, leads to loss of life which in turn slows the rate of development of African nations.
Modern medicine is considered very costly and often unavailable in the rural parts of Africa. As a result, locals revert to ancestral customs of healing and conventional medicine, which encompasses treating illnesses with herbs and spiritual treatment (UNAIDS, 2006). Many of the health challenges in some African countries are believed to be due to witchcraft and other unclean spirits. Hence traditional herbs and rituals are considered viable solutions in these communities and not science. For instance, the lack of a cure for the Ebola virus disease in some West African countries has led residents to seek unsafe and unproven methods to treat the deadly disease. These kinds of superstitions bring about unnecessary deaths and, as a result, hinder the development of good health care systems within these nations.
Besides, some superstitions may lead to a lack of education of the children within African communities. In the westernized countries, albinos attend school and interact with others regardless of their skin disorder. Whereas some parts of Africa, such as Tanzania, do not have the same story. Albino children in Tanzania lack education because of fear. The albinos are, in most cases, forced into hiding because of the belief that their blood and body parts carry magical powers (Congressional Record, 2010). Priests in that country are said to be involved in sacrificing people with an albinism skin disorder. Such unscrupulous beliefs hinder the children’s right to a good education and, in turn, the country's socio-economic development as a whole.
Despite the advancements, civilisation, and globalisation of t