Ghanaian national policy toward indigenous healers. The case of the primary health training for indigenous healers (PRHETIH) program.

We review the policy of the Ghanaian Ministry of Health towards indigenous healers, and estimate their potential and actual utilization in the national health delivery system. We then describe the program to give primary health training to indigenous healers. The program established relations with the regional offices and central headquarters of the Ministry of Health. The Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, the Ghana Psychic and Traditional Healers Association and various categories of indigenous healers. We describe our strategies to coordinate the program with Ministry of Health Units and different categories of indigenous healers (mainly TBAs, herbalists and priest/priestess healers) in Techiman District. We analyze the socio-cultural, economic and politico-administrative forces impinging on the design and implementation of the program to recommend ways that this kind of program can be developed in other localities within and outside Ghana.

Traditional health workers: views from the field: moving well in both environments.

PIP: An integrated rural development program has been formed in Ghana, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Health and WHO. Under the program, traditional birth attendants were given training and field experience. After examination, they were allowed to practice at the hospital and the village level, handling deliveries and referring high risk cases. Patient response has been favorable. Hospital staff have found the trained midwives to be useful.^ieng