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Self-care and the informal sale of drugs in South Cameroon

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  • Van Der Geest, Sjaak

Abstract

Self-care, though the most common of all forms of therapeutic action, has been little studied. This paper describes the context of self-medication with western pharmaceuticals in an area of South Cameroon (in 1980). The identity and appropriateness of these pharmaceuticals are briefly discussed. The paradoxical character of self-medication is emphasised: improvement in the quality of self-medication implies both growth and loss of self reliance, increase and decrease of medicalisation. People in Cameroon, or indeed anywhere in the Third World, find themselves in a 'double-bind'.

Suggested Citation

  • Van Der Geest, Sjaak, 1987. "Self-care and the informal sale of drugs in South Cameroon," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 293-305, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:25:y:1987:i:3:p:293-305
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    Cited by:

    1. Mbonye, Anthony Kabanza & Neema, Stella & Magnussen, Pascal, 2006. "Perceptions on use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in pregnancy and the policy implications for malaria control in Uganda," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 279-289, August.
    2. Foster, S. D., 1990. "Improving the supply and use of essential drugs in sub-Saharan Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 456, The World Bank.
    3. Edith Patouillard & Lesong Conteh & Jayne Webster & Margaret Kweku & Daniel Chandramohan & Brian Greenwood, 2011. "Coverage, Adherence and Costs of Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Children Employing Different Delivery Strategies in Jasikan, Ghana," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(11), pages 1-9, November.
    4. Markus Larsson & Karen Odberg Pettersson & John Kashiha & Michael W Ross & Anette Agardh, 2016. "Stretching the Boundaries: Tanzanian Pharmacy Workers’ Views and Experiences of Providing STI Services for Men Who Have Sex with Men," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, November.
    5. Baxerres, Carine & Le Hesran, Jean-Yves, 2011. "Where do pharmaceuticals on the market originate? An analysis of the informal drug supply in Cotonou, Benin," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(8), pages 1249-1256.
    6. Leonard, Lori, 2005. "Where there is no state: household strategies for the management of illness in Chad," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 229-243, July.
    7. Väänänen, Minna Heleena & Lyles, Alan & Airaksinen, Marja, 2009. "The symptom mitigation path of mobile community residents: Community pharmacy's role," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 14-25, January.
    8. Chandler, Clare I.R. & Hall-Clifford, Rachel & Asaph, Turinde & Pascal, Magnussen & Clarke, Siân & Mbonye, Anthony K., 2011. "Introducing malaria rapid diagnostic tests at registered drug shops in Uganda: Limitations of diagnostic testing in the reality of diagnosis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(6), pages 937-944, March.
    9. Carla F. Rodrigues, 2020. "Self-medication with antibiotics in Maputo, Mozambique: practices, rationales and relationships," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Chinwoke Isiguzo & Jennifer Anyanti & Chinazo Ujuju & Ernest Nwokolo & Anna De La Cruz & Eric Schatzkin & Sepideh Modrek & Dominic Montagu & Jenny Liu, 2014. "Presumptive Treatment of Malaria from Formal and Informal Drug Vendors in Nigeria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.

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