Integrating African Traditional Health Knowledge and Practices into Health Sciences Curricula in Higher Education: An<i>Imbizo</i>Approach

Moeta, Mabitja; Mogale, Ramadimetja Shirley; Mgolozeli, Siyabulela Eric; Moagi, Mmamphamo Miriam; Pema-Bhana, Varshika

doi:10.1080/18186874.2019.1635505

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This may be seen as one of the reasons why there seem to be difficulties in integrating THPs into biomedical healthcare as there is a lack of scientific backing for the methods and interventions. 39 However, in this current study, THPs note the need to improve their knowledge and skill gap on first aid interventions to better care for their patient’s health needs and to facilitate communication with BHPs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Traditional health practitioners’ training needs on biomedical knowledge and skills in a South African township

Moeta,

Musie,

Seretlo

et al. 2023

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

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Background Traditional health practitioners (THPs) play an important role in communities by providing necessary health services for a variety of health problems. Possessing complementary biomedical knowledge and skills is vital in saving lives of patients. However, less is known about biomedical knowledge and skills among THPs. Aim This study aimed to explore and describe the training needs of THPs on biomedical knowledge and skills in urban townships in South Africa. Setting The study was conducted in a township in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality of Gauteng province, South Africa. Methods A qualitative, explorative, descriptive design with 18 THPs was employed through snowballing sampling. Data were collected through a lekgotla group discussion and thematic content analysis undertaken. Results Themes that emanated include knowledge of the basic physiological functioning of the human body; biomedical knowledge and skills required for the assessment of patients; managing emergency health conditions and understanding diagnostic concepts used in traditional health practice versus biomedical systems. Conclusion Traditional health practitioners have demonstrated interest in being trained on certain skills used within the biomedical system to care for patients. Performing the necessary first-aid skills by THPs will assist patients in the communities while waiting for emergency services or referrals. Provision of training programmes for THPs on first aid interventions during emergencies is therefore recommended. Contribution The study revealed that capacitating THPs with biomedical knowledge and skills can improve their ability to promote healthy living and prevent health problems in communities where access to resources is limited.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Traditional health practitioners’ training needs on biomedical knowledge and skills in a South African township

Moeta,

Musie,

Seretlo

et al. 2023

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

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“…The authors reported that students believe that the inclusion of African traditional indigenous knowledge into the curriculums of health sciences disciplines taught at African Universities has the potential to improve the humanness of the graduates of those courses and may help them deliver culturally-acceptable services to their clients and patients. Moeta et al (2019) also recommended in their study for the training of nurses to incorporate indigenous health knowledge to equip nurses on how to care for patients in a manner that respects their belief system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ubuntu as an Instrument to Foster Holistic Nursing: The Views of South African Student Nurses

et al. 2022

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Introduction: Ubuntu is an African philosophy that reflects holistic and comprehensive care among people in the community. Holistic nursing is a philosophy of caring that focuses on holistic healing and humanism. The purpose of the study was to explore the views of the South African final-year student nurses on the ability of Ubuntu to foster holistic nursing. Methods: An exploratory descriptive qualitative method was used. Eight focus group interviews were conducted with final-year student nurses at selected universities. Colaizzi seven steps process of data analysis was utilized. Results: One of the themes that emerged was that Ubuntu can be an instrument to foster holistic nursing Ubuntu and holistic nursing share many common attributes, hence, the teaching and learning of Ubuntu could foster the type of caring embodied by holistic nursing. Discussion: Ubuntu represents an important care philosophy that can foster holistic nursing, especially when the inner driving force of the nurses is primarily to care for patients.

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“…Viewed from a Fanonian perspective, a wrong diagnosis, which is not anchored on an understanding of the sociocultural and political factors, leads to a faulty medical solution (Fanon, 1965(Fanon, , 1967Sikuade, 2012). Thus, there is a need for holistic and culturally relevant nursing curricula based on local values, beliefs worldviews and philosophies to be taught at training institutions (Moeta et al, 2019;Ngunyulu et al, 2020).…”

Section: Engaging the Tensions Between Western And African Approaches...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, the emphasis is that medicine, or a sole biomedical approach to health matters is inconsistent with the lived realities of African health matters. This explains why some in South Africa use traditional medicine concurrently with western biomedical solutions (Moeta et al, 2019; Ngunyulu et al, 2020). Therefore, Mokhutso (2021) decries that African leaders are not only capitulating to the subjugation of AIKS, but they also contribute to its demonization as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, despite the efficacy evidence of traditional medicine in treating and managing certain illnesses.…”

Section: Engaging the Tensions Between Western And African Approaches...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Embracing African Traditional Knowledge Health Systems in a HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Saruchera,

Xaba

2023

Journal of Black Studies

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This article engages the perpetual denigration of African Traditional Knowledge System (ATKS) by African governments in favor of western biomedical approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. We demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has once again put the spotlight on the alternative approaches to health and the need for a holistic and broader understanding of these practices in Africa. Using a literature review on health sectors across Africa and cases of traditional health medicines and use in selected countries, we show the Afro cosmo vision and understanding of health, and we make a case for a non-western health approach that is holistic, endogenous, and community-centered. We argue that health approaches need to be anchored on proper understanding of African societies, whose approach to health encompasses the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspect of one’s existence. Our work lends support for the importance of having a multidimensional holistic health system and approach for universal health coverage (UHC) toward the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Africa which encompasses ATKS in dealing with pandemics.

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Integrating African Traditional Health Knowledge and Practices into Health Sciences Curricula in Higher Education: AnImbizoApproach

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Traditional health practitioners’ training needs on biomedical knowledge and skills in a South African township

Traditional health practitioners’ training needs on biomedical knowledge and skills in a South African township

Ubuntu as an Instrument to Foster Holistic Nursing: The Views of South African Student Nurses

Embracing African Traditional Knowledge Health Systems in a HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Pandemic Era

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