Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the beliefs and practices of caregivers and traditional healers within the South African Muslim community regarding Down syndrome. An exploratory-descriptive research design was utilized which incorporated individual interviews with 10 caregivers of persons with Down syndrome as well as 10 traditional healers from the South African Muslim community. Common beliefs emanating from both groups relating to the cause of Down syndrome included the notion that this condition was genetic in origin and that such children were perceived to be gifts from God. Others attributed Down syndrome to a punishment from God or the result of curses from people. Treatment included the use of inscriptions from the Quraan, water that had been prayed over and herbal medicines. Some caregivers seemed reluctant to approach western health care professionals due to negative past experiences. The main reasons for consulting traditional healers were cultural beliefs and pressure from family members, their holistic approach and the personal nature of their interventions. Collaboration between allopathic medicine and traditional healing was advocated by almost all of the traditional healers. These findings underline the need for culturally sensitive rehabilitation practices in speech-language pathology and audiology; and collaboration between western health care practitioners and traditional healers.
Highlights
Differences in socio-cultural experiences, ethnic histories and family backgrounds are likely to influence people’s worldviews regarding the aetiology o f illnesses and disorders, and the par ticular healing methods followed by individuals (Battle, 2002)
Common beliefs that emanated from both the caregivers and the traditional healers with reference to the cause of Down syndrome, included the notion that this condition was genetic in origin and that such children were perceived to be a gift from God
Common treatment/management approaches mentioned by both the caregivers and the traditional healers included the use of tarweez and water that had been prayed over which was pro vided by Moulanas and spiritual healers, and herbal medicines prescribed by Hakeems
Summary
Differences in socio-cultural experiences, ethnic histories and family backgrounds are likely to influence people’s worldviews regarding the aetiology o f illnesses and disorders, and the par ticular healing methods followed by individuals (Battle, 2002). In terms o f worldviews, there has been a tendency to distinguish between two main types o f health conventions, the so-called modem approach that is located within a western medical para digm and the traditional approach, which is based on indigenous belief systems (Hall, 1994). Western biomedical or allopathic medicine,, is rooted in Anglo-Saxon and Judeo-Christian value bases (Tjale & de Villiers, 2004) and initially tended to view disease as a form of biological malfunctioning, with ill health manifesting in chemical, anatomical or physiological changes (Ross & Deverell, 2004; Tjale &jde Villiers, 2004). A major cause o f the pre-eminence o f Western medical practice, in South Africa, was its connection with the coloni alist and later apartheid regimes which stressed the superiority of Western medical practice (Tjale & de Villiers, 2004:2)
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