Experience of initiating collaboration of traditional healers in managing HIV and AIDS in Tanzania

Abstract

Collaboration between traditional healers and biomedical practitioners is now being accepted by many African countries south of the Sahara because of the increasing problem of HIV/AIDS. The key problem, however, is how to initiate collaboration between two health systems which differ in theory of disease causation and management. This paper presents findings on experience learned by initiation of collaboration between traditional healers and the Institute of Traditional Medicine in Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam Municipalities, Tanzania where 132 and 60 traditional healers respectively were interviewed. Of these 110 traditional healers claimed to be treating HIV/AIDS. The objective of the study was to initiate sustainable collaboration with traditional healers in managing HIV/AIDS. Consultative meetings with leaders of traditional healers' associations and government officials were held, followed by surveys at respective traditional healers' "vilinge" (traditional clinics). The findings were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings showed that influential people and leaders of traditional healers' association appeared to be gatekeepers to access potential good healers in the two study areas. After consultative meetings these leaders showed to be willing to collaborate; and opened doors to other traditional healers, who too were willing to collaborate with the Institute of Traditional Medicine in managing HIV/AIDS patients. Seventy five percent of traditional healers who claimed to be treating HIV/AIDS knew some HIV/AIDS symptoms; and some traditional healers attempted to manage these symptoms. Even though, they were willing to collaborate with the Institute of Traditional Medicine there were nevertheless some reservations based on questions surrounding sharing from collaboration. The reality of past experiences of mistreatment of traditional healers in the colonial period informed these reservations. General findings suggest that initiating collaboration is not as easy as it appears to be from the literature, if it is to be meaningful; and thus we are calling for appropriate strategies to access potential healers targeted for any study designed with sustainability in mind.

Reconsidering the Allure of the Culturally Distant in Therapy Seeking: A Case Study from Coastal Tanzania

“…32 In this regard Maynard's (2004: 279) proposal is significant that given the official interest in popular medicine, and the oft-asserted ideal of integrating healers into a national health-care system, it would be important to find out what ''integration'' really means and what its consequences are on the ground. This proposal is especially important given the recent revival of interest in the professionalization of traditional healers, in their training and in the scaling up of their role in providing care to HIV=AIDS, AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria patients in Africa (cf., Green 1999;Homsy et al 2004;Kayombo et al 2007;McMillen 2004;Mills et al 2006). As van der Geest (1997: 910) reminds us:…”

“…I also draw on narrative case studies of two patients who had traveled from distant places to seek the mganga's help to illustrate the intricate decision-making process involved in seeking out distant healers. I conclude by emphasizing the need for a critical reevaluation of propositions for the integration of ''traditional healers'' in the prevention and treatment of life-threatening infectious diseases such as HIV=AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as these proposals are predicated on the debatable assumption that healers throughout Africa are popular with members of their own community and that they provide therapies that are culturally appropriate and acceptable to a vast majority of the population (cf., Abdool Karim 1994;Bannerman et al 1983; Green 1999;Homsy et al 2004;Kayombo et al 2007;Makemba et al 1996;Mills et al 2006;Pigg 1995;1997: Semali 1986van der Geest 1985;1997;Ventevogel 1996;World Health Organization (WHO)=UNICEF 1978;Wilkinson et al 2001.…”

Antiviral Activity ofCardiospermum HalicacabumL. Extract against Coinfecting Agents HIV and HBV

“…The isolation of active ingredients associated with the medicinal characteristics of a particular plant gets correlated with studies carried on HIV (15). In the present investigation, the methanolic fraction that showed high activity recorded the presence of various compounds when subjected to TLC and subsequent phytochemical screening.…”

“…Owing to their broad structural diversity, natural products are an ideal source for deriving anti-HIV agents with decreased toxicity. Although there are reports on traditional use of plants to treat various diseases, knowledge on herbal remedies used to manage HIV/AIDS is scarce and not well documented (15). Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), HIV, HBV, and emerging viral infections associated with poxvirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome virus were strongly inhibited by various plant extracts, either water-soluble or alcoholic extracts, and limited efforts have been directed toward the identification of active natural ingredients exhibiting antiviral effects (16).…”

Legitimacy and Contextual Issues in Traditional Lakota Sioux Healing

“…regulation), has received a lot of thoughtful analysis and commentary, especially in Africa, China, India and New Zealand. In sub-Saharan Africa, this dialogue has been propelled ahead because of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Green et al, 1995;Homsy et al, 2004;Kaboru et al, 2006;Kayombo et al, 2007). More recently, concerns over the exploitative nature of ethnopharmacology have fuelled debate (Mgbeoji, 2006).…”