Burkina Faso must move from recognizing to truly valuing endogenous medicine, says Dr. Boureima Ouédraogo
Dr. Boureima Ouédraogo, a historian specializing in contemporary history, recently defended his doctoral thesis at Joseph-Ki-Zerbo University on the historical evolution of endogenous medical practices in Burkina Faso from 1897 to 2020. His research, titled "Historical Approach to Endogenous Medical Practices in Burkina Faso 1897-2020: Between Clandestinity, Collaboration, and Institutionalization," highlights how these practices, once marginalized under colonial administration, have gradually gained legal and institutional recognition. Dr. Ouédraogo argues that the current challenge is not merely recognition but the genuine valorization of these practices for health sovereignty, without opposing endogenous medicine and biomedicine. His interest in health history began during his undergraduate studies, leading to a master's thesis on modern and traditional medicine in Burkina Faso from 1970 to 2015. He extended his doctoral research back to 1897 to understand the origins of marginalization, coinciding with the establishment of colonial administration and its new medical system. Colonial authorities repressed local healers, using laws like the 1892 "Brouardel law" and the 1904 decree, which criminalized practices deemed "witchcraft" or "illegal medicine." Despite this, they also actively researched African medicinal plants, distinguishing between the cultural context of therapeutic knowledge and elements that could be scientifically appropriated. Dr. Ouédraogo cites the 1945-1
