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This paper presents the experiences, impact and lessons of the innovative approach of working with traditional healers in HIV and TB prevention and control programmes, especially at the primary health care level. [from abstract]

This paper presents the roles of traditional healers in HIV/AIDS prevention and scopes for including them in the national AIDS prevention and control program.

The aim of this study was to provide a baseline assessment in PMTCT in the traditional health sector to determine the views of women who have used the services of traditional practitioners before, during and/or after pregnancy; and to conduct formative research with traditional health practitioners (THPs), i.e. herbalists, diviners and traditional birth attendants on HIV, pregnancy care, delivery and infant care. [adapted from abstract]

This article discusses the prevalence of traditional health practitioners and what South Africa has done to support the cadre, including formalized recognition and licensing through the South African Traditional Health Practitioners Act.

This article discusses the role of traditional healers in pediatric care in South Africa. [adapted from introduction]

This article discusses the feasibility of including traditional healers in the primary health care team to achieve true co-operation between the modern and the traditional health care sector in South Africa. [adapted from introduction]

This paper explores the organisation of traditional healers, their perspective on HIV/AIDS and how these can be engaged by companies. [from abstract]

This paper describes the results of a study to assess patients consulting full-time traditional health practitioners (THP) and the THPs' practices after they had been trained on HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections prevention and care. [adapted from abstract]

This study investigated the role of traditional healers in sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS as well as a collaboration between the traditional and biomedical health care systems as seen by nurses and traditional healers. Qualitative analyses are presented on themes including attitude and respect; collaboration between traditional healers and nurses; control and regulation of traditional health practices; and the training needs of healers and nurses. [adapted from abstract]

This presentation addresses the role and impact of traditional health service providers in India and how they help fill the gaps in health worker coverage. [from author]

This paper presents field narratives selected as illustrations of mythologising and masking in popular responses to HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The stories appear in the context of traditional health practitioners and the testimony of the healers is used to demonstrate the ways in which they interpret these narratives, and seek to challenge them.2 The examination then re-assesses these accounts, and the healers’ responses to them, in relation to the antipathy that exists between western medicine and traditional healing in the context of HIV/AIDS. [introduction]

This paper documents the results of the second year of operation of the HOPE Cape Town (HIV Outreach Program and Education) Pilot Traditional Healer Project, an innovative HIV/AIDS collaboration between traditional health practitioners and western medicine in the Western Cape Province. The paper identifies the project’s achievements, and explores key problems in operation and management, including recommendations for the design and implementation of future initiatives. [from introduction]

The Institute of Medicine’s Academy of Science has recommended that medical schools incorporate information on CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) into required medical school curricula so that graduates will be able to competently advise their patients in the use of CAM. The report states a need to study models of systems that integrate CAM and allopathic medicine. The authors present Cuba’s health care system as one such model and describe how CAM (or natural and traditional medicine) is integrated into all levels of clinical care and medical education in Cuba. The authors conclude that there is much to learn from the Cuban experience to inform U.S.

This publication provides information on the medical dialogue, a method formulated to address the recommendation for collaboration between biomedical practitioners and traditional healers and the integration of traditional medicine into public health care to respond to AIDS. [adapted from author]

Traditional health practitioners (THPs) and their role in traditional medicine health care system are worldwide acknowledged. Trend in the use of Traditional medicine (TRM) and Alternative or Complementary medicine (CAM) is increasing due to epidemics like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases like cancer. Despite the wide use of TRM, genuine concern from the public and scientists/biomedical heath practitioners (BHP) on ef?cacy, safety and quality of TRM has been raised. This paper discusses global, regional and national perspectives of TRM development and efforts that have so far been directed towards bridging the gap between THPs and scientist/BHP in contemporary health research in Tanzania.

This news article presents a study in Uganda that found HIV-positive Ugandans are twice as likely to quit antiretroviral therapy (ART) if they also use traditional herbal medicine. It suggests that the integration of traditional healers into modern medical practice needs to be handled more cautiously and that rather than shunning traditional healers, the solution is to work closely with them. [adapted from author]

This issue of AIDS Action looks at some successful approaches to working with traditional health practitioners and using traditional health practices to improve HIV prevention and care. [author’s description]

Traditional healers have a crucial role to play in building the health system in South Africa and strengthening and supporting the national response to HIV/AIDS. This paper sketches a background to traditional healing in South Africa and discusses international policies and guidelines, and the South African legal framework on traditional health practitioners. It argues for the regulation of traditional healers and traditional medicine, as well as for the application of human rights principles within the traditional healing profession.

This policy brief discusses the efforts of the South African government to create legislation for the country’s traditional medicine, and provides a synopsis of national initiatives that are transforming the field of traditional knowledge. It also examines what these changes mean for the users of traditional medicines. [author’s description]

Palliative care aims to maximise quality of life and relieve the suffering of patients with life-limiting incurable disease, and to support their families and carers. It is provided through specialist services such as hospices and palliative care teams and in general settings. The HIV/AIDS pandemic and rising cancer rates in Africa have increased the need for well-developed and integrated palliative care services. In sub-Saharan Africa, the concept of palliative care is not well developed and palliative care is largely confined to isolated specialist centres. Services have developed, but in very varied ways. In order to inform future developments, this review aimed to identify and appraise activities, opportunities and evidence of the status of palliative care in Africa.

There is compelling evidence for the success of the “rural pipeline” (rural student recruitment and rurally based education and professional training) in increasing the rural workforce. The nexus between clinical education and training, sustaining the health care workforce, clinical research, and quality and safety needs greater emphasis in regional areas.

The shortage of trained health professionals is among the main obstacles to strengthening low-income countries health systems and to scaling up HIV/AIDS control efforts. Traditional health practitioners are increasingly depicted as key resources to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. An appropriate and effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis requires reconsideration of the collaboration between traditional and biomedical health providers (THPs and BHPs). The aim of this paper is to explore biomedical and traditional health practitioners experiences of and attitudes towards collaboration and to identify obstacles and potential opportunities for them to collaborate regarding care for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. [author’s description]

The objective of this study was to describe the profile of community health workers - health promoters, traditional birth attendants and traditional healers - in rural Quechua communities from Ayacucho, Peru.

An editorial arguing for expanding the professional category of the formal health care workers to include home-based informal caregivers, political community leaders, shop vendors of health products, and traditional health practitioners. The editorial further notes that formal health workers can become informal health workers when operating outside the rules of the health system.