Transition of rural community in Belaga, Sarawak : health beliefs and practices

Abstract

This paper aims to examine how Kenyah medicine (taban Kenyah) survive the test of time, by incorporating and/or adopting foreign medicine (taban kalo), which includes modern medicine and traditional beliefs and practices of other ethnic groups. Thus further exploration of the worldviews on what causes illness, how illness is prevented and how it can be treated will spearhead the proactive community participation in maintaining and enhancing physical, emotional, spiritual and (intellectual) aspects of individual and the community members. Furthermore, health disparities still exist in this country such as between rural communities and urban communities and require immediate solutions.