AEGiS-15IAC: Bringing worlds together - traditional healer and western medicals in South Africa.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Bringing worlds together - traditional healer and western medicals in South Africa.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D10351)

Hippler S
HOPE Association, Cape Town, South Africa

ISSUE: The enrolment programme of the National Government of South Africa makes it essential, that all major role player concerned working together to ensure the success of treatment. One of the most influencial role player in black communities are the so called "sangomas" or "traditional healers" who controll partly the intake of medication.

DESCRIPTION: The HOPE project in Cape Town tried for three years to conduct a workshop bringing 50 traditional healers and 50 western medical personal including members of the provincial government administration together to discuss common grounds. It emerged that there was almost no common understanding about the disease and the perspectives of treatment. Most of the traditonal healers not even spoke English nor could they relate to any proper knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS in a country which is hit the most.

LESSONS LEARNED: This project is an ongoing project. After the first workshop there has been an assesment and it was decided on the next steps. In the first half a year of 2004 there will be more workshops and information sessions for sangomas in their language. Sangomas will be part of the western medical education and the other way around. This presentation gives an actual overview about this development and try to give first hand recommendations how to bridge the exciting gap between modern medicine and traditional approach.

RECOMMENDATIONS: It is essential to bring all major role players together to fight the disease. As it is a long way to create understanding between these so different worlds and approaches one must start with building of trust: common workshops, visits and participation in the other education structure. Formulating of common goals but also differences which will stay for the future. Especially the traditional healers must get their acts together and create clear rules and regulations for becoming an acknowledged traditonal healer.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, South Africa, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, organization & administration, education

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