A brief qualitative study of indigenous traditional medicine providers in Timor-Leste

Abstract

Providers of Traditional Timorese Medicine are an essential resource in rural communities, contributing greatly to the overall health of individuals in Timor-Leste. Their identity and role in healthcare has not been widely investigated and functions outside of the National Health System. The objective of this qualitative study is to describe the role of providers of Timorese Traditional Medicine in Timor-Leste and their practice of medicine. To perform this research, semi-structured interviews were performed with providers of Traditional Timorese Medicine in the rural district of Viqueque. Interviews took place at providers’ homes in Tetun and, after translation into English, interview content was analyzed and emergent common themes identified. The seven providers of Timorese Traditional Medicine interviewed mostly identified themselves as either a Liman Badain, Matan-Dook, or reported no title. Another identified himself by his political position as village chief, Xefe-Suku. Emergent themes from interview content included 1) Medical pluralism, reflecting that Timorese frequently use more than one medical system; 2) Spiritual sickness, reflecting illness and treatments commonly involving ancestral spirits or supernatural forces; and 3) Familial knowledge, reflecting healing practices and knowledge often kept within a family and passed down across generations. Generally, providers reported that the most common symptoms they treated in their practice were illnesses/misfortunes related to a woman’s gynecologic health and were obstetric in nature, especially concerns regarding reproductive health. This qualitative study provides information about the key role of select individual providers of Timorese Traditional Medicine and adds to the limited existing knowledge. Further qualitative and quantitative research must be done to further characterize the identities and role of different providers of Traditional Timorese Medicine.

An exploratory study on becoming a traditional spiritual healer among Baganda in Central Uganda

“…Previous researchers documented similar findings, that spiritual calling into healing is an intergenerational familial natural gift [ 16 , 23 , 63 ]. Another researcher found that anointment into healing using ancestral spirits is involuntary, and may manifest through challenges of illness [ 64 ].…”

“…This is supported by recommendations that trained and categorised healers with recognised competencies should be identified, profiled, registered, monitored and evaluated and get certified by accredited institution that understand, contextualize, appreciate, and recognise them and their practices [ 14 , 15 ]. More authors argue that this would assist to harmonise, streamline, regulate and promote informal skills development, qualifications, and accreditation of their practices, therapies, and services [ 16 – 19 ]. Nonetheless, the practices of traditional healers do not lend themselves to evaluation, measurement, and precise data, using qualitative and quantitative methods [ 20 ], even though local and indigenous ways of knowing have long co-existed with mainstream sciences [ 12 ].…”

Perspectives on health, illness, disease and management approaches among Baganda traditional spiritual healers in Central Uganda

“…Their description of illness is embedded in their culture. Just like other authors who assert that illness is associated with misfortunes (63) and somatic experiences reflective of bad relations with supernatural forces and ancestral spirits (64). Illness has various possible cause that may include, but not limited to curses, witchcraft, and failure to observe social taboos (65).…”

“…Some authors documented illness as an unclear and unnamed spiritual health condition caused by ancestral spirits and witchcraft (40), whose description of illness is embedded in people’s cultures. Other authors assert that illness is associated with misfortunes (59,60) and somatic experiences reflective of bad relations with supernatural forces and ancestral spirits (61). Illness has various possible cause that may include, but not limited to curses, witchcraft, and failure to observe social taboos (62), while others indicate that illness may manifest as a divine punishment (42,63).…”

A grounded theory study of beliefs underlying use of ancestral spirits for healing among Baganda traditional spiritual healers in Central Uganda

“…Various researchers have for long established that in Africa, the relationships between the living and their ancestors are believed to be mutually beneficial (43,44), and linked by spirit mediums (45,46). Furthermore, illness and associated suffering are socialized (21) through ritual healing and symbolic interpretations (20) in line with cultural, spiritual and supernatural causal relations (40,(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52).…”