Traditional healer's knowledge and implications to the management and control of HIV/AIDS in Arusha; Tanzania
Tanzan. health res. bull
; 8(2): 95-100, 2006.
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1272507
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CG1.1
RESUMO
Due do limited coverage of conventional health care services in Tanzania; a number of HIV/AIDS patients are consequently being cared for and managed by traditional healers. Knowledge of 132 traditional healers on HIV/AIDS was assessed through a questionnaire that sought among other things the symptoms that these traditional healers associate with HIV/AIDS. Seventy-seven (61) healers claimed to be treating HIV/AIDS patients. Twenty-five percent (33 healers) had poor; 52.3(69 healers) had moderate; 22.7(30 healers) had good knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Sixty-nine(52) among the traditional healers mentioned six and thirty (23) healers mentioned more than six symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS as outlined by the WHO clinical HIV staging system. Almost all the healers were aware that HIV/AIDS is spread sexually and through body fluid contact and claimed that precautionary measures are taken to avoid spread of the disease. Knowledge on HIV/AIDS infection from mother to child during pregnancy; at delivery and through breastfeeding was poor for most healers. It seems most traditional healers meet HIV/AIDS patients in their terminal stages when HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections are highly manifest; a situation exemplified by the recorded symptoms that were not specific or directly related to HIV/AIDS. There is a need to impart the appropriate knowledge in the identified deficient areas to avoid possibilities of further spread of the disease through the traditional medicine delivery system
Full text:
Available
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
HIV
/
Medicine
Language:
English
Journal:
Tanzan. health res. bull
Year:
2006
Type:
Article
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