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Health Beliefs and Traditional Medicine practiced by Afghan People

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Health Beliefs and Traditional Medicine practiced by Afghan People

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Financial hardship has led to a considerable lack of healthcare availability in Afghanistan, particularly in rural areas. There are many traditional Afghan causes of illness; these include an imbalance of hot and cold forces in the body, not adhering to the principles of Islam and the will of God, possession by the evil spirits called jinn, being given the evil eye or sometimes witchcraft. Prayer is traditionally seen as necessary in healing illness and using medicinal herbs, which has arisen due to financial hardship. Mental illness has a considerable societal stigma associated with it. Mental health conditions such as depression are among the several health issues that may not be categorised as an illness. (Afghan Australians, n.d.)

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The primary and official religion of Afghanistan is Islam, and it is practised by more than 99% of Afghani people. Sunni Muslim is another popular religion practised by 80% of Afghani people. Shi'a Muslim is a less popular religion that is only practised by 19%, and other religions make up one per cent or less. (Afghan Australians, n.d.)

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For me, the most important aspect of nursing arises from domain 1.1 of the Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice. Domain 1.1 entails responding without judgment to various social factors affecting health and adjusting my approach to healthcare as needed. I have improved my understanding of caring for people from diverse backgrounds throughout this unit and after reading through the 1st domain. Having read Domain 1 of the Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice, I now know that throughout my nursing career, I may need to adjust my approach to an individual from diverse backgrounds based on their understanding of their illness, their access to adequate health care and their experience and response to healthcare information and interventions. This knowledge and understanding will be essential to me as a nurse because I must provide every one of my patients with the most inclusive care possible. Because I did not understand this topic much, I will continue to expand my knowledge to uphold the best care possible. Initially, I did not realise how many Australian individuals originate from diverse backgrounds and, therefore, may not be as familiar with the Australian healthcare system and may not understand the reasoning behind some medical decisions due to cultural differences.

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Afghan refugees and social exclusion and discrimination

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Afghan refugees and social exclusion and discrimination

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Upon arrival to Australia, Afghan refugees are likely to experience discrimination and social exclusion of some nature. Despite the wide diversity of the Australian and Western Australian communities, refugees- particularly those from Afghanistan- may need help to integrate into Australian society, find work, and navigate health care and the healthcare system. According to a case study conducted by Farida Tilbury and Val Colic-Peisker, employment helps refugees integrate into society by allowing them to build a social network and acquire cultural skills. Participants in the study often reported that discrimination was a barrier to employment. Approximately half of the participants mentioned that they had encountered discrimination in the job market primarily due to their accent, followed by a name, language ability and appearance. (Tilbury & Colic-Peisker, 2007, pp. 108–128)

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There are over 30 languages spoken in Afghanistan—the primary languages include Dari and Pashto. Dari and Pashto are Indo-European languages that are related to most languages spoken in Europe, including Swedish. They are both written in Arabic letters. There are more widely spoken dialects, such as Hazargi, which is a Persian dialect related to Dari.(SCA, n.d.)

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A common illness that Afghani refugees arrive in Australia is latent tuberculosis, which is also very common among other refugee populations. (Health Issues of Refugees, 2020) Individuals who contract latent tuberculosis are at a high risk of developing tuberculosis. Treatment for Latent tuberculosis is only undertaken after active tuberculosis has been excluded and should be administered by experienced clinicians. The first line of preventative treatment of latent tuberculosis is 6-9 months of isoniazid. (Tuberculosis (TB & LTBI)» Australian Refugee Health, n.d.)

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Afghani food involves a plethora of flavours and spices; however, it is not generally spicy. Afghan cuisine has its own spice culture; more recently, spicy food has become more common. According to Afghan cooks, this has occurred more recently as Afghani refugees in Pakistan acquired a taste for chillies from Pakistani cuisine. The national dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli palaw, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts and lamb or beef. (Seddiq, 2022)

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Afghan Australians. (n.d.). https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/156398/afghan2011.pdf

Health issues of refugees. (2020). Australian Journal of General Practice.

https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2018/may/health-issues-of-refugees#:~:text=Studies%20of%20refugee%20populations%20throughout

SCA. (n.d.). Languages in Afghanistan – SCA. https://swedishcommittee.org/afghanistan/language/

Seddiq, M. (2022, November 7). Afghan Food: What is Afghan Cuisine? Afghan Cooks. https://afghancooks.com/afghan-food/

Tilbury, F., & Colic-Peisker, V. (2007). Skilled refugees, employment and social inclusion: A Perth case study of three communities (F. Tilbury & V. Colic-Peisker, Eds.; pp. 108–128) [Review of Skilled refugees, employment and social inclusion: A Perth case study of three communities]. Centre for Social and Community Research, Murdoch University. http://www.murdoch.edu.au/

Tuberculosis (TB & LTBI)» Australian Refugee Health. (n.d.). https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/tuberculosis-tb/