Health Challenges in Africa; Islamic Bioethics Perspective

Abstract

Africa still left behind in health sector among other countries in the world. The problem of human resources and natural resources as well as low quality of infrastructure is still becoming mayor problem beside political problem. The status of health of people among African countries is still low and need to develop faster. Barriers of cultural and barriers of society mentality is growing advance because of information technology and materialism as well as secularism. In term of Islamic bioethics African countries have been facing problem of justice and autonomy. The conflict of autonomy and justice principle still dominated over beneficence principle. This paper will analysis about health challenges in Africa from Islamic bioethics perspective. With the high impact of poverty in the health sector the implementation of Islamic bioethics is very tough on health services. Dilemma of Islamic bioethics in health services and health development programs emerge in hospital and community. The concept of Islamic bioethics will explain more detail in comparison with Indonesia as the same developing countries with the same historical bc:~ckground. Western bioethics is not showing enough concerns for the moral challenges and dilemmas arising from Africa. As such Africa need to develop its principles and values based on the existential realities of its people needing appropriate solutions to fJroblems affecting them. The f1rst problem encounttered is whether African bioethics can dismantle the encrustation of foreign values and view the African thought materials in their true light rooted on traditional African values and indigenous heritage as well as in framing of Islamic values. There is no doubt that modern Western medicine, based as it is on the scientific method, is superior to traditional African medicine, which was rather weak in diagnosis, pharmacology, and the systematization of knowledge. The four principles of bioethics, from Beauchamp and Childress, autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice have dominated the field of bioethics in the world. Their simplicity and practicability make them easily applicable to any ethical dilemma to determine the best or right course of action. Some African bioethicists have adopted these principles directly rather than within the context of local values