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Reporting

Zanzibar: Spirits and Psychiatry

October 19, 2017 | Nicola Kelly | BBC


Zanzibar is on the cusp of a mental health crisis. Following decades of substance abuse, rates of psychotic, neurological and psycho-social disorders have increased sharply. As the situation worsens, profiteering spiritual and traditional healers are reaping the benefit, charging extortionate rates to exorcise the evil spirits many believe have possessed their minds. For the island’s most vulnerable, they are the first – and often the last – port of call. But with so many turning to these methods of recovery, conventional medicine is struggling to cope, largely distrusted and poorly resourced. Nicola Kelly travels across the East African island to meet those suffering – and those who benefit.

(Photo: In Zanzibar, traditional healers treat the mentally ill. Credit to: Laylah Amatullah Barrayn)

About the Author

Nicola Kelly

Nicola is a London-based journalist focused on social affairs and human rights. Her writing regularly appears in The Guardian and The Observer and she frequently reports for BBC News and… Read More.

Original Publication
BBC
Related Topics
Health
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‘Cramped and unsafe’ Glasgow housing unit forced to suspend mother and baby services BBC documentary trailer: Zanzibar Spirits and Psychiatry

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