Traditional Practitioners and Nurses’ Perspectives on Traditional Medicine Utilisation During Antenatal Care in Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Background: Traditional Health System has been reported to be the most accessible, affordable, and acceptable in resource-poor settings, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is utilised for different health needs, including pregnancy management. This study sought to explore traditional and Nurses’ perspectives on traditional medicine utilisation during antenatal care in Bulilima District, Plumtree, Zimbabwe. Methods: A qualitative survey was conducted on purposively selected nurses’ and snowballed traditional health practitioners who responded to unstructured interviews. Data were collected using a digital tape recorder, transcribed, and thematically analysed on Max Qualitative Data Analysis. Results: A total of 6 superordinate and 10 subordinate themes emerged from the collected and analysed data on both traditional practitioners and nurses. The superordinate themes associated with Traditional Medicine utilisation during pregnancy by women were: protective role, beliefs, shortening of labour, cleansing, accessibility, and collaboration between traditional practitioners and modern health practitioners. Nurses expressed their skepticism on the safety and efficacy of traditional medicine utilisation during pregnancy. Conclusion: Women utilise traditional medicines and remedies during pregnancy for different reasons, such as protection from evil spirits, foetus growth and shortening labour. There are concerns regarding their safety from the health service providers, although traditional practitioners share a different view. There is a need for investing in research that would ascertain the safety of these traditional medicines as this system has been a cheaper alternative for those who cannot afford or access modern health services.

The roles and challenges of Traditional Health Practitioners in Maternal Health Services in rural communities of Mthatha, South Africa

“…The THPs were thus given the responsibility and power to protect pregnant women from such dark forces. The THPs have the ability to fortify the womb against witchcraft, protect children from disease, and protect them from evil spirits [9,24].…”

“…Though the safety of using these traditional medicines is still being debated, traditional practices are said to play an important role for mothers and babies, and they are accessible, effective, affordable, and acceptable [7][8][9].…”

The Roles and Challenges of Traditional Health Practitioners in Maternal Health Services in Rural Communities of Mthatha, South Africa

“…THPs were thus entrusted with the responsibility and authority to protect pregnant women from such dark forces. THPs have the ability to protect children from disease and evil spirits by fortifying the womb against witchcraft [ 9 , 27 ]. Findings from this study have shown that THPs use various culturally acceptable approaches to manage pregnancies and associated complications or problems, including unceremonious miscarriages, due to their abilities to diagnose, mix herbs, and pray.…”

“…Literature has shown that THPs in various countries use a variety of traditional medicines for gynecological conditions such as stimulating fertility, inducing or stopping premature labor, and treating prolonged labor or placental expulsion [ 6 ]. Though the safety of using these traditional medicines is still being debated, traditional practices are said to play an important role for mothers and babies, and they are accessible, effective, affordable, and acceptable [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

Adherencia a la atención prenatal en el contexto sociocultural de países subdesarrollados: una revisión narrativa

“…En diferentes países aún existe una minoría de parteras, a donde las mujeres suelen acudir, ya que, por sus creencias, piensan que estas tienen mucha más experiencia que el personal de salud (24) . Así es como, en la actualidad, los partos aún ocurren en casa, debido tanto a la desconfianza que tienen del personal de salud como a la tecnología, que ha hecho que muchas gestantes tengan menos probabilidad de buscar atención prenatal (25,26) .…”