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
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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.
Indigenous knowledge is entering into the mainstream of
sustainable development and biodiversity conservation discourse.
Article 8(j) of the Convention of Biological Diversity
(Rio, 1992) has contributed to this process by requiring
signatories to: “respect, preserve and maintain knowledge,
innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities
Today Native Americans have higher rates of diet-related illness and mortalities than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. These figures reflect the many challenges to the land base, cultural identity, spiritual life, environmental quality and stability of local economies and political institutions which, in part, support healthy diets.
Using Indigenous methodology and a story telling method this thesis is the result of research that looks at the benefits of traditional Indigenous ceremony and healing practices as a way to heal from traumatic experiences. A thematic analysis technique was employed to reveal four themes that emerged from the stories told by Indigenous Knowledge Keeper participants.