Collaboration between African Indigenous and Biomedical Health Practitioners: Perceptions Regarding Tuberculosis Treatment

Abstract

Despite programmes developed to alleviate tuberculosis (TB) infection worldwide, South Africa is still reporting high rates of infection. Most South Africans believe in and consider using the medicine provided by African indigenous health practitioners (AIHPs) rather than consulting practitioners at modern health facilities. The isolated functioning of these two groups of practitioners motivated the government to establish the Traditional Health Practitioners Act (22 of 2007), to encourage AIHPs and biomedical health practitioners (BHPs) to collaborate on the healing of different diseases, including TB. The Mpumalanga province has been hit the hardest by TB and has a high infection rate. The study aimed at exploring and describing the perceptions of AIHPs and BHPs on collaboration concerning TB treatment in the Ehlanzeni district, Mpumalanga. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from focus groups with 21 AIHPs and in-depth individual interviews with 10 BHPs. The findings of the study reveal differing perceptions, as some BHPs accept the Act and acknowledge collaboration, while others have concerns about standards of care, patient safety, and overdosing. They are reluctant to accept integration, as they see AIHPs as unscientific practitioners who use strong medicine that is detrimental to patients. The AIHPs welcomed the idea of working together and mutual teaching with the aim of empowering each other with knowledge regarding the treatment of TB, for the ultimate benefit of patients.

Barcoding and traditional health practitioner perspectives are informative to monitor and conserve frogs and reptiles traded for traditional medicine in urban South Africa

“…This environmental legislation further states that management of the environment should equitably provide for people's needs and their cultural interests (Republic of South Africa, 1998). Functional collaborations with traditional health practitioners have in the past been demonstrated by modern health professionals both in South Africa (Nkhwashu et al, 2021) and other parts of the African continent (Kayombo et al, 2007) despite disagreement between the two parties, thus providing hope that collaborations with conservation practitioners are achievable. With collaboration the traditional health practitioners can be encouraged to openly substitute endangered species with abundant species of lower conservation priority thus limiting negative impacts of Indigenous remedies.…”