EPISODE 14 - Traditional Healers

This week Siyayinqoba Beat It! investigates the role traditional healers play in tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. The Department of Health estimates that 70% of South Africans consult traditional healers so it is no surprise that the DOH also emphasizes that traditional healers can, and do, play a crucial part in strengthening and supporting the national response to HIV/AIDS.

This has not always been the case where some healers have abused the trust placed in them and presented false cures for HIV/AIDS which do nothing to ease the suffering of those they claim to help. At the same time many South Africans are suspicious of so-called “Western medicine.” It is important then to understand that traditional healers and Western medicine can co-exist and both form part of the fight against HIV / AIDS.

No-one demonstrates this better than Nomathamsanqa Radebe, a traditional healer who is living openly with HIV. At her home in Khayelitsha, Nomathamsanqa explains that when she first noticed the symptoms of HIV she used traditional medicine, but when that clearly wasn’t working she went for a test and discovered that she was HIV positive. Nomathamsanqa is already taking medicine for high blood pressure and is honest that when she needs to do so, she will go on ARVs.

But if that is so, what then is the need for traditional healers? Nomathamsanqa is certain about this: “There are many different ways a traditional healer can help you. You don’t only go to a traditional healer for medicine.” People trust Nomathamsanqa and this is something she takes seriously as a healer – that is why she is open about her HIV status – so that when she advises people to go to the clinic and test she can set a good example and ease other people’s fears.

When asked about a cure for HIV Nomathamsanqa is blunt in her response: “It’s a myth … There is no cure for HIV.” She is against traditional healers who claim otherwise. But Nomathamsanqa shows us that recognizing this and knowing that some conditions require a doctor’s attention does not mean a person must change their beliefs.

The trust people place in traditional healers often comes from the beliefs families pass down through generations. In Gauteng we meet Isaac Skhosana whose family advised him to use traditional medicine when he found out he is HIV positive. He eventually joined the TAC and learned about the science of HIV – he started to use ARVs and his CD4 count has risen to 713. But he still uses traditional medicines in other cases, such as Umathunga for cuts. Isaac is emphatic on one thing though – he will only buy from certified healers who have learnt about HIV and traditional medicines. In Siluma View Gogo Mbhele Kgame is one such traditional health practitioner. She has extensive knowledge of HIV and other opportunistic infections so she can refer people to clinics and she is also trained for finger pricking, oral testing and peer education.

Traditional midwives are also playing an important role in teaching pregnant women about PMTCT. Ma Doris Mncede lives in a small community in Escort, KZN. She understands that with the scale of the epidemic it is important that healers can advise pregnant women correctly and refer them to the clinic. The healers are taught about the requirements for PMTCT so that they can pass that knowledge on to the pregnant women they visit in their communities.

It is important to remember that if you are HIV positive and on ARVs you must get your doctor’s consent before taking traditional medicine. If ARVs are mixed with other medicines it may reduce the ARVs effectiveness or cause toxicity and side effects. All medicines must be tested before they are made available to the public – whether they are traditional or western. The healers and patients we have visited in this episode show that traditional healers and western medicines do not need to stand against each other but must both be employed as part of the solution.