Traditional healer's knowledge and implications to the management and control of HIV/AIDS in Arusha, Tanzania
Loading...
Date
2006
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tanzania Journal of Health Research
Abstract
Due do limited coverage of conventional health care services in Tanzania, a number of HIV/AIDS patients are consequently being cared for and managed by traditional healers. Knowledge of 132 traditional healers on HIV/AIDS was assessed through a questionnaire that sought among other things the symptoms that these traditional healers
associate with HIV/AIDS. Seventy-seven (61%) healers claimed to be treating HIV/AIDS patients. Twenty-five percent (33 healers) had poor, 52.3% (69 healers) had moderate, 22.7% (30 healers) had good knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Sixty-nine (52%) among the traditional healers mentioned six and thirty (23%) healers mentioned more than six symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS as outlined by the WHO clinical HIV staging system. Almost all the healers were aware that HIV/AIDS is spread sexually and through body fluid contact and claimed that precautionary measures are taken to avoid spread of the disease. Knowledge on HIV/AIDS infection from mother to child during pregnancy, at delivery and through breastfeeding was poor for most healers. It seems most traditional healers meet HIV/AIDS patients in their terminal stages when HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections are highly manifest, a situation exemplified by the recorded symptoms that were not specific or directly related to HIV/AIDS. There is a need to impart the appropriate knowledge in the identified deficient areas to avoid possibilities of further spread of the disease through the traditional medicine delivery system
Keywords: Traditional healers, knowledge, HIV/AIDS, Tanzania
Description
Keywords
Traditional healers, Knowledge, Tanzania
Citation
Uiso, F.C., Kayombo, E.J., Mbwambo, Z.H., Mgonda, Y., Mahunnah, R.L. and Moshi, M.J., 2006. Traditional healer's knowledge and implications to the management and control of HIV/AIDS in Arusha, Tanzania. Tanzania Journal of Health Research, 8(2), pp.95-100.