Effect Of Trado – Medical Advertising On Human Health And Broadcast Media

Project and Seminar Material for Mass Communication

Abstract

The trend of wholesale commercialization of media outfits has given rise to programming of events that do not necessarily hold much value for the viewing public. Trado-medical practitioners in Nigeria appear to be keying into this development in the way they utilize the media to advertise and promote the efficacy of their drugs as an alternative to synthetic western drugs. The overall purpose of this study was to establish whether there is a relationship between perception of herbal medicine advertisement and purchase of such medicines among the populace in Southeastern Nigeria. The study was designed as a survey. Data were collected from 400 residents drawn from the capital cities of the five Southeastern states in Nigeria. Our findings suggest a high level of exposure to media herbal advertisements and this had a positive impact on the perception of herbal medicine among the residents. They also suggest passive influence on their purchase decision. This led to the conclusion that purchase decision for herbal medicine was dependent on cultural background, community and societal standards that affect people’s perception of need. Interpersonal communication and efficacy of herbal medicines rather than ubiquitous herbal media advertisements exerted more influence on the respondents’ purchase decision.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Traditional medicine has been in existence from the time immemorial. This has been a mean by which our fore father used to cure ailments and which usually work for them .But as time goes by innovation and advancement in technology gave room for broadcasting media as a means of dissemination information to heterogeneous audience.
Information being disseminated through the mass media is advertisement which is a communication paid for by an identifiable sponsor and directed at a target audience with the aim of imparting information about a product, service, Idea or opinion.

Traditional medicine men were simply men who has grown familiar with the environment and had learned how to use its abundant resource to treat and solve mans problems .Prior to the days of penicillin and antibiotics, medicine men were the only source of medicine healing and thus they become highly regarded ,valued and powerful..
Nowadays, where they are in my opinion just like with all thing tradition misunderstand has created a negative stigma for me. It is commonly through that medicine men are evil, worship evil, sprits and prepare various ill intended concoctions. The practice of traditional medicine is now shunned and looked down upon destroying the very sinews that formed the hearts of our cultures scientific belief.

As the topic implies ‘’THE EFFECT OF TRADO MEDICAL ADVERTISING ON HEALTH AND BROADCAST MEDIA’’ will be focusing on the perception of the traditional medicine practitioners ,medical practitioner, advertising practitioner ,National Broadcasting Commission [NBC],National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control [NAFDAC] and the people in locality.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Recently trado medical advertising has caused a lot of worry in the minds of some people because of the persuasive message and pressure of the advertisement on the people. Some of the of problems which this research work want to answer to are

The effectiveness of traditional medicine on the health of the people
The claim that a drugs can cure a particular disease in which it cannot
The major criticism of trado medicine is that it is not scientific because the trado medicine practitioner cannot explain how they arrived at certain conclusion unlike the orthodox medicine can do

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to know both negative and positive effect of traditional medicine on the health of an individual and to still know the view or stand of Nigeria code of standards relating to the advertising of medicines and treatment. Also, the perception of an individual are traditional medicine shall also be examined.

1.4 Research Questions

How exposed are medication drug users in southeast Nigeria to Trado-Medical broadcast media advertisements?
How do these medication drug users perceive these advertisements?
Do these advertisements in any way induce the purchase decisions of these drug consumers?
What other factors influence these consumers’ purchase decisions, apart from broadcast media herbal advertisements alone?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This research has created increased knowledge and added to literature in this academic field. The study brings to the fore insights into the importance of traditional health care and creates awareness of the limitations of modern health care. It is important to expand knowledge on the socio-economic benefits of traditional health care use in health care system. Increased knowledge about traditional health care can foster ways to maximise health care delivery.

Also, the analysis of this study has provided vital information useful to government’s policy concerns and the current debate on full integration of the medical systems to ensure comprehensive health care delivery. Specifically, it is most useful to the Ministry Of Health, which is directly responsible for the provision of public health services delivery (in terms of policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization and regulation of the health services delivery). The study may be valuable also to the Traditional and Alternative Medicines unit, whose duties include monitoring and evaluating the delivery of traditional and alternative health care in the country. This study provides useful information on popular perceptions regarding the importance of traditional health care. This information could inform government policies design that is responsive to citizen’s needs. Equally, it has a major contribution to the volume of scholarships currently on traditional health care available to the Health Research Unit, which has the mandate to coordinate and conduct research into health related issues to facilitate policy formulation and programme implementation.

Furthermore, the study may be useful to groups or organizations such as WHO, which is working with Nigeria and other developing countries in developing national policies on the evaluation and regulation of TRM practices, and in promoting safe, effective and affordable traditional products and practices (WHO, 2003). The findings from this research may be useful to the pharmaceutical companies, as well as to the general public, who are concerned about the current health care system or their health status. The findings may have broader application, particularly for other organizations and countries that are considering implementing a TRM system programme.

1.6 Scope / Limitation of the Study

The study on “THE EFFECT OF TRADO MEDICAL ADVERTISING ON HEALTH AND BROADCAST MEDIA’’ will be focusing on the perception of the traditional medicine practitioners ,medical practitioner, advertising practitioner ,National Broadcasting Commission [NBC],National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control [NAFDAC] and the people in locality. It will be carried out in Enugu Metropolis. Enugu Metropolis was chosen as a case study so as to make it more focused.

Chapter Five

Conclusion and Recommendation

5.2 Conclusion

Inferentially, the major findings of the study suggest that the respondents were highly exposed to herbal medicine advertisement via Television/Radio but the advertising messages through these media had passive impact on these respondents’ decision to purchase herbal medicine; they were rather mostly influenced by interpersonal discussions with friends, family members and associates and testimonies from drug users when it comes to purchase decision for herbal medicine.

We, therefore, concluded that purchase decision for herbal medicine was dependent on cultural background, community and society’s standard that affected peoples’ perception of need. Interpersonal communication and the efficacy of herbal medicines rather than ubiquitous media herbal advertisement exerted more influence on these respondents’ purchase decision.

5.2 Recommendations

Based on the results of this study the following recommendations were made:

Herbal medicine Television and Radio advertisements should be channeled towards creating awareness and helping audience members in search of safe and appropriate herbal medicine for better healthcare rather than being used to win brand loyalty.
Health regulators such as NAFDAC and herbal medicine practitioners should work together to ensure that consumers have the information they need about the benefits and the risks of the herbal medicines that are advertised.
Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) that have real knowledge of ethno-medicine should be encouraged by the government and other stakeholders, including broadcast media outfits to come out and share their expertise for the common good.
The broadcast media professionals in Nigeria should create special forums where TMPs could productively rub minds with western, orthodox medicine practitioners.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), APCON and other relevant regulatory agencies should work hand in hand to verify the claims of TMPs before they are placed on the broadcast media in Nigeria. In this connection, agencies such as NAFDAC, Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) should be further strengthened to check any unwholesome practice among the ranks of TMPs in Nigeria.