Background: The indigenous health system was perceived to be a threat to the allopathic
health system. It was associated with ‘witchcraft’, and actively discouraged, and repressed
through prohibition laws. The introduction of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act No 22
of 2007 brought hope that those centuries of disrespect for traditional health systems would
The only time that can be influenced is the future. This is obvious since the past has passed and the present does not exist because it is permanently leaving us. But how can we influence the future? It is by building a better future for Africa?
T
Key points:
WHO Traditional Medicine
Strategy 2002–2005
raditional, complementary and alternative
medicine attract the full spectrum of
reactions — from uncritical enthusiasm to
uninformed scepticism. Yet use of traditional
medicine (TM) remains widespread in
developing countries, while use of complementary
Ethnopharmacologicalrelevance: Most exoticplantsareusuallylabelledasalieninvasivesandtargeted
for eradication.However,someoftheseexoticplantsplayanimportantroleinthetraditionalprimary
healthcaresectoroftheBapedicultureintheLimpopoProvinceofSouthAfrica.Themedicinalusesof
mostofthesespecieshaveneitherbeendocumentednortheirbiologicalactivityevaluated.
The aim of this article is to shed light on patterns of, and major motives for the utilisation of
traditional medicine to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. This study was
conducted in Soshanguve township in Gauteng. A qualitative approach was adopted by
conducting focus group interviews with fifty-seven traditional healers. Data was analysed
292
PERCEPTIONS OF TRADITIONAL HEALERS ON THE
TREATMENT OF DIARRHOEA IN VHEMBE DISTRICT
MUNICIPALITY OF LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
Tshivhangwaho Austin Netshivhulana, Ndivhaleni Anox Masevhe,
Milingoni Peter Tshisikhawe and Amidou Samie
University of Venda, South Africa tshisip@univen.ac.za
South Africa is one of the few nations that have made significant progress to integrate
traditional and complementary medicine into the legislative framework for health
practitioners. Traditional medicine, represented by approximately 190 000 traditional
health practitioners, has sustained the health of millions of South Africans over centuries.
Traditional medicine (TM) is an important and often underestimated part of
health services. In some countries, traditional medicine or non-conventional
medicine may be termed complementary medicine (CM). TM has a long
history of use in health maintenance and in disease prevention and treatment,
particularly for chronic disease.
Background: Bapedi traditional healers play a vital role in the primary health care of rural inhabitants in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. However, literature profiling their social and demographic variables, as well as their traditional healing practices is lacking.
Climate change threatens the livelihood of rural communities that depend on natural resources for food. Many people in developing countries living in the rural areas depend on indigenous food resources which in years are scarce and in poor supply as a result of marginal and erratic rainfall, low soil and ambient temperatures below the minimum temperature.