WeeklySA_AdminURGENCY: Role of traditional healers under spotlight as those afflicted with the disease go to public health facilities too late…
By Yoliswa Sobuwa
It’s well-established that detecting disease early significantly improves treatment outcomes. This is especially true for Tuberculosis (TB). The disease is preventable and treatable. Yet it is one of the leading causes of death in South Africa claiming 54 000 lives in 2022.
According to Professor Norbert Ndjeka, chief director of TB Control and Management in the National Department of Health, delays in seeking care is a major challenge to the country’s TB efforts to curb the disease. South Africa was among 30 countries with a high TB burden, 280 000 people in the country have the disease.
“With TB, we have evidence that patients come to health facilities very late. It is also the same with HIV patients who first consult with traditional healers before going to the public hospitals,” he says.
“The health department acknowledges the significant role traditional healers play in treating patients, many of whom seek help late from health facilities because they initially turn to traditional practitioners as their primary source of healthcare. These traditional healers should be registered with the Department of Health,” Ndjeka says.
He says there is a growing recognition of the need for collaboration between African traditional medicine and Western medicine to improve patient healthcare outcomes, especially in the fight against TB. Traditional medicine has been the trusted and affordable healthcare for African populations for many years. The practice of traditional medicine involves natural remedies to heal, diagnose, prevent, and manage illnesses.
The department has emphasised the importance of strengthening the referral system between the department and the traditional healers.
Over the years traditional healers have been integrated into rendering HIV and other health services.
Last year a group of 15 traditional healers in Mpumalanga were trained to test patients for HIV. Those who test positive are then referred to the clinic or community health centre.
In 2022, 5 000 traditional healers were trained by the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) to close the gap regarding delays in cancer diagnosis since some community members depend on traditional health practitioners for advice.
Dr Mpho Malatji, of the interim Council of Traditional Health Practitioners of South Africa, says traditional healers need to be registered with the health department for better integration.
“There are people who are very sickly who consult with traditional healers. Because we are registered with the department it is easier to refer them to the clinics.
For instance, TB treatment has to be taken for six months. Some patients think they are bewitched when they take time to heal. Traditional healers should encourage them to continue with their treatment,” he says.
“This also applies to someone who is HIV positive and is taking anti-retrovirals (ARVs). We have also taught traditional healers to wear gloves and face masks when dealing with sick patients to avoid contracting the diseases and spreading it to other people.” Malatji says superstition was responsible for some members of the public seeking treatment timeously and this led to permanent illness and loss of life.
According to research, community members also consulted traditional healers for diseases like HIV, often in the belief that they had an ancestral calling or were bewitched.
“Traditional healing is cheaper and closer to the people but it is important for traditional healers to refer their clients to the clinic if the illness can be cured by Western medicine. You can’t keep on treating HIV patients saying they are bewitched whereas they need treatment,” he says.
Ndjeka adds that traditional healers could help the department in scouting for TB patients.
“These are patients who will stop their TB medication with the hope of getting healed by traditional healers,” Ndjeka says.
“There are doctors who still associate traditional healing with witchcraft. These are the healthcare workers who are hampering the relationship between traditional and modern practices. People should know that we are not dealing with spirituality, but one’s health,” Malatji says.
Ndjeka says in the coming month, the department will engage with traditional healers to discuss TB recovery plans. – Health-e News
