The Roles and Challenges of Traditional Health Practitioners in Maternal Health Services in Rural Communities of Mthatha, South Africa.

Traditional health practitioners (THPs) are considered as the entry level of care in African societies and play an important role in the delivery of health services to the population. A phenomenological qualitative study was carried out among purposefully selected THPs in Mthatha to understand their roles and the challenges they face in providing maternal health services. The study included a focus group discussion with seven participants which yielded three themes and seven subthemes. The content analysis of descriptive data from the focus group discussion revealed threats posed by unregistered and counterfeit THPs to the lives of pregnant women in rural settings. The THPs' wide range of services allowed pregnant women to receive prenatal, antenatal, and postnatal care in proximity. However, this community level of care was marked by high levels of secrecy and counterfeit practitioners who used human body parts, which compromised the practice and rendered it unpopular. The South African government recommended the establishment of a register for THPs in order to protect the public, including the clarification of functional referral pathways between THPs and conventional health services.

Perceptions of Pregnant Women on Traditional Health Practices in a Rural Setting in South Africa.

Though there are prenatal and perinatal protocols across the African continent, traditional practices are commonly used. Improving maternal health requires an understanding of local cultural approaches and traditional health systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of pregnant mothers of various ages and gravidities towards traditional maternal health practices during pregnancy. A descriptive phenomenological study was carried out with 27 purposively selected pregnant women from the King Sabatha Dalindyebo health sub-district. Discussion from three focus groups yielded three major themes and eight sub-themes. Content analysis revealed strong opinions and support for traditional practices. Although specialist practitioners were mentioned, family members were the primary source of information on traditional perinatal health practices. African mahogany bark, herbal decoctions, and holy water were allegedly used to treat labor pains, postnatal care, and the warding off of evil spirits. During pregnancy, these were thought to be beneficial and necessary. Nonetheless, the protection of some traditional practices' know-how prevents integration of the traditional health system into the national health system. Consequently, there is a need for dialogue to facilitate the exchange of ideas on maternal health between the two health systems in order to facilitate more efficient policy formulation and implementation.