Although some cultural practices have been identified as a determinant of HIV transmission, research investigating how specific practices affect HIV risk is lacking. In Malawi, initiation rites, in which young people attend ceremonies around the time of puberty, have received little attention.
Every culture has traditionally had ways of dealing with psychological
distress and behavioral deviance. For example, in the United States
for the last century, counseling has evolved into a formal profession
designed to help individuals resolve both situational and developmental
problems in various aspects of their lives.
Ethnobotanical knowledge is common and important among the tribal people but much of
the information is empirical at best lacking logical validation. A number of ethnic
communities residing in the study area are partially or fully dependent on the forest
resources to meet their requirements. The present study analyses indigenous knowledge
In this Review we delve into the underlying causes of health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
people and provide an Indigenous perspective to understanding these inequalities. We are able to present only a
snapshot of the many research publications about Indigenous health. Our aim is to provide clinicians with a
The purpose of this study was to
explore the clinical conditions
brought to indigenous healers by
people in the rural areas in search of
health care. The demographic
variables and preventive, promotive,
curative and follow-up activities of
indigenous healers were
investigated. Data were collected
from a simple random sample o f 35
The authors present an extensive literature review and discuss the cultural
relevance of indigenous healing practices in promoting psychological,
physical, and spiritual well-being in people of color. Suggestions are
also presented for ways counselors might work with indigenous healing
resources to promote the well-being of people of color.
Objective: In many traditional belief systems in Africa, including South Africa, mental health problems may be attributed to the
influence of ancestors or to bewitchment. Traditional healers are viewed as having the expertise to address these causes. However,
Background: The objective of this study was to establish a regional profile of the indigenous knowledge system
(IKS) for medicinal plant use and cultural practices associated with the healing process of these plants by
traditional healers in the Oshikoto region, Namibia.
The views of a sample of Xhosa-speaking psychiatric nurses on
traditional healing and its role in mental health care in South Africa are
examined. We explore how the nurses manage apparent incompatibilities
between their practice of Western psychiatry and the use of traditional
healing services. Under normal circumstances this incongruity appears