Traditional healers work hand-in-hand with TB/HIV Care
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10 April 2010
This local Vredenberg sangoma believes allopathic medicine and traditional medicine aren’t necessarily incompatible. During a voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) drive in Vredenberg on the West Coast of the Western Cape, he was happy to chat with a lay counsellor about different sexually transmitted infections (STIs) he had encountered in his practice – motioning to the health education photographs on the wall of the VCT caravan to illustrate his points. He had his own HIV status checked at the VCT caravan too.
Allopathic medicine and traditional medicine in general may have had a rocky past with regards to HIV/AIDS treatment, but TB/HIV Care Association believes in partnership, and has also smoothed the way for a good working relationship with traditional healers in the Sisonke district of KZN. |
For 3 days, the Department of Health, represented by Sister Sithole, and TB/HIV Care Association hosted a workshop with 25 traditional healers in KZN to inform them about TB, HIV and STIs. Health practitioners believe that traditional healers have an important role to play in referring patients into the formal health system. By teaching the workshop participants the signs and symptoms of HIV, STIs and TB in particular, it is thought that traditional healers may be able to spot potential problems in their patients and ask them to visit their nearest clinic. It is also important that healers be able to identify people who may have TB so that they avoid giving them powerful emetics that could damage their lungs.
Professional Nurse Nomusa Ngcobo comments, “It is important to involve traditional healers. Many people still believe in using them, so if we educate the healers, we educate their community too.”
Traditional healers display their certificates awarded for attending
the DOH, TB/HIV Care Association workshop
During the workshop, ways of maintaining hygiene and preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the practice of traditional medicine were discussed.
For example, the importance of using separate enemas for individual clients to prevent the spread of STI’s was addressed, as was the need to be careful to avoid exposure to blood during the practice of ‘ukuqiniswa’ – where shallow incisions are made in the skin.
Since the workshop, the participants have received certificates confirming their attendance and have even invited Nurses back to perform voluntary counselling and testing for their communities.
With this success in hand, biannual workshops have been scheduled by the Department of Health and the relationship between traditional medicine and allopathic medicine seems to have a solid foundation at TB/HIV Care Association.
Source:
TB/HIV Care Association, tel: 021 425 0050, www.tbhivcare.org, info@tbhivcare.org
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