Traditional health practitioners� perceptions, herbal treatment and management of HIV and related opportunistic infections
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC
Abstract
In South Africa, traditional health practitioners� (THPs) explanatory frameworks concerning illness
aetiologies are much researched. However there is a gap in the literature on how THPs understand HIV-related
opportunistic infections (OIs), i.e. tuberculosis, candidiasis and herpes zoster. This study aimed to comprehend
THPs� understandings of the aforementioned; to ascertain and better understand the treatment methods used
by THPs for HIV and OIs, while also contributing to the documentation of South African medicinal plants for
future conservation. The study was conducted in two locations: Strand, Western Cape where THPs are trained and Mpoza
village, Mount Frere, Eastern Cape from where medicinal plants are ordered or collected. Semi-structured interviews
were conducted with 53 THPs of whom 36 were diviners (amagrirha: isangoma) and 17 herbalists (inyanga). THPs
were selected through a non-probability �snowball� method. Data were analysed using a thematic content analysis
approach.
Description
Keywords
Public health, HIV, Traditional health practitioners, Medicinal plants, South Africa
Citation
Davids, D. et al. (2014). Traditional health practitioners� perceptions, herbal treatment and management of HIV and related opportunistic infections. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 10, 77. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-10-77