Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of traditional healers in sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS and collaboration between the traditional and biomedical health care systems as seen by nurses and traditional healers. A convenient sample of 15 professional nurses and 15 traditional healers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Qualitative analyses identified the following themes: (1) attitude and respect, (2) collaboration between traditional healers and nurses, (3) control/regulation of (traditional) health practices, (4) training needs of healers and nurses. The main results indicated that the professional nurses had mixed attitudes towards traditional healers, mostly negative (e.g. lacked training, used expired medicines, gave improper dosages, and kept poor or no records), but, also positive, such as contributing to the management of opportunistic infections (STIs). The traditional healers also had mixed attitudes towards nurses. The traditional healers believed that nurses undermined their work (did not accept their efficacy in treatment and consequently did not refer patients). Notably, most of the traditional healers were willing to learn and refer patients to clinics and hospitals, while this was not true for the nurses.
Highlights
Traditional healers who practice in South African can broadly be grouped into three types: the traditional doctor or inyanga who is typically male and uses herbal and other medicinal preparations for treating disease; the isangoma (Zulu) or diviner, usually a woman who operates within a traditional religious supernatural context and acts as a medium with the ancestral shades; and the faith healer who integrates Christian ritual and traditional practices (Freeman and Motsei, 1992)
The nurses believe that patients start with traditional healers and when they see that their medication doesn’t work, they go to the hospital/clinic
This study investigated the perceptions of nurses and traditional healers on the role and collaboration between nurses and healers in sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS
Summary
Traditional healers who practice in South African can broadly be grouped into three types: the traditional doctor or inyanga who is typically male and uses herbal and other medicinal preparations for treating disease (or herbalist); the isangoma (Zulu) or diviner, usually a woman who operates within a traditional religious supernatural context and acts as a medium with the ancestral shades; and the faith healer who integrates Christian ritual and traditional practices (Freeman and Motsei, 1992). Many South African patients consult traditional healers as a first effort to remedy ailments (Louw and Pretorius, 1995). Peltzer (2000) found that among 104 black Africans sampled from the general public in Limpopo Province, South Africa, 68% sought medical treatment for their last illness, followed by the herbalist (19%) for minor and chronic conditions, the diviner (9%), and faith healer (4%). In a community survey, Peltzer (2003) found among rural adult South Africans that, of those who reported to have had a STI in the past 12 months, 36% had consulted traditional healers for treatment. Persons may consult traditional healers for the treatment of STIs because they provide clientcentered and personalized health care that is tailored to meet the needs and expectations of their patients, paying special respect to social and spiritual matters (King and Homsy, 1997)
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