SHOP TALK
On Thursday 12 February 2004, the Margaret Sanger Centre International South Africa
hosted its first Shoptalk for 2004 with Professor Robert Thornton, a Professor in Anthology
from
the Witwatersrand University (WITS) as guest speaker.
Above: Professor Robert Thornton
Professor Thornton presented
Traditional Healers and Medical Doctors: Prospects and Problems for Collaboration,
to twenty-three participants representing a variety of partner organisations.
Despite the widespread availability of government-provided primary health care services,
the majority of South Africans continue to consult traditional healers when afflicted with
many common illnesses. As a result, traditional healers may be one of the principal sources
of care utilized by many persons suffering from STI’s and HIV/AIDS. In the context of a
rapidly expanding AIDS epidemic, it is a critical concern that South Africa’s health care
providers should consider them when designing health communication and other health
promotion
initiatives.
In response to this concern, Medical Care International (MCDI) carried out a research
initiative funded by Margaret Sanger Centre International South Africa (MSCISA) to better
understand the knowledge, attitudes and current practices of South African Traditional Healers
on the topics of STI’s and reproductive health, as well as the relationship between
traditional healers and the formal health system. The research was carried out in
KwaZulu-Natal,
Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa.
Above:
Traditional Healers and participants sharing in Shoptalk
Should you require a full report, please e-mail info@mscisa.org.za or click here to download the complete report as a pdf version.