The mosaic of traditional and French medicine in Madagascar

The evolution of medicine in Madagascar is an example of the intermixing of traditional beliefs with French colonial influence. Medicine has played an important role in the history of the "red island" situated east of the African continent. As a means of gaining a foothold in Madagascar, the European missionaries that came during the 19th century constructed hospitals and provided medical training to the Malagasy. When Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, an official medical school continued training Malagasy doctors and furthered the replacement of traditional beliefs and practices with modern French medicine. Occupying an important place in traditional Malagasy society, the healer retained his high stature amid the shift to modern medicine since the Malagasy considered medical instruction as the culmination of formal education. Several Malagasy doctors who completed their studies at the medical school went on to play significant roles in their island's independence and in later political issues. The modern medical practices that the French transplanted on the island have not completely replaced traditional medicine. In fact, a current fall-back on traditional therapies has resulted due to the insufficiencies and high cost of modern medicine. An example of this fall-back is the increased interest in traditional pharmacopoeia which takes advantage of the island's native resources. One of the many inherent benefits of integrating traditional pharmacopoeia into modern medical practices is that their combination increases accessibility and cuts the costs of medical care. These different factors have made Malagasy medicine into a fascinating mosaic of modern and traditional medicine.