Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026)

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Integrating Tradition and Modernity: A Review of Women's Roles in Liberian Traditional Medicine within Contemporary Healthcare, 2021–2026

Danielle Lewis, University of Liberia Shannon Kirk, Department of Research, Cuttington University Patience Kromah, Cuttington University Samuel Tweh, University of Liberia
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18358313
Published: January 24, 2026

Abstract

This systematic review critically examines the evolving roles of Liberian women as custodians and practitioners of traditional medicine within the nation’s contemporary healthcare landscape. It addresses the problem of how these vital yet often marginalised actors navigate the intersection of indigenous knowledge systems and a modernising health sector, particularly in the post-Ebola and COVID-19 context where interest in local pharmacopeia has resurged. Employing a systematic methodology, the review analyses scholarly literature, policy documents, and development reports from 2021 to the present, a timeframe capturing the most recent discourse following the pandemic. The analysis identifies key thematic developments, arguing that Liberian women are not merely passive bearers of tradition but are active agents of hybrid healthcare. They integrate herbal remedies, spiritual care, and midwifery into community-based primary care, often filling critical gaps in state provision. The findings highlight a persistent tension between formal recognition and economic precarity, with women practitioners frequently operating in an informal, undervalued space despite their documented contributions to maternal health and pandemic response. The review concludes that meaningful healthcare integration in Liberia and similar contexts necessitates a gendered policy framework that formally acknowledges, protects, and remunerates women’s intellectual heritage and labour. This centring of African women’s knowledge is imperative for developing equitable, culturally resonant, and sustainable health systems.

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Danielle Lewis, Shannon Kirk, Patience Kromah, Samuel Tweh (2026). Integrating Tradition and Modernity: A Review of Women's Roles in Liberian Traditional Medicine within Contemporary Healthcare, 2021–2026. African Journal of Women’s Studies, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026), 38-50. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18358313
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Keywords

Liberiatraditional medicinegender roleshealthcare integrationethnomedicinedecolonisation

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