A prime example of collaboration between traditional healers and conventional medicine

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04afd5a3.jpg"> <bR> <div> <B>The Botanical Source</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2063.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B><IMG SRC="107b8d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop"><U><IMG SRC="11958d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A wide range of indigenous seeds from Af"><U><IMG SRC="11948d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=5d55fa2bee3df7b388a151625a1e9916" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11938d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><IMG SRC="10828d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><IMG SRC="11928d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><IMG SRC="11918d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://edge.quantserve.com/quant.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">_qacct="p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ";quantserve();</script> <noscript> <a href="http://www.quantcast.com/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ" target="_blank"><img src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ.gif" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/></a> </noscript>   </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3741917-2"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04c03043.jpg"> <div> A prime example of collaboration between traditional healers and conventional medicine</div> <div> by <I>Elizabeth Clarke</I></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> In the 1950’s, the founder of the Valley Trust Dr Halley</div> <div> Stott, entered into a partnership with the traditional</div> <div> healers in the area, which was continued by Dr Irwin</div> <div> Friedman in the 1980’s.</div> <div> The traditional healers and western doctors have been</div> <div> working together in preventing and managing common</div> <div> diseases in the area for over 40 years now, and as a</div> <div> result of their successful collaboration they were</div> <div> recently given an award at a meeting of the Inyanga’s</div> <div> Association in KwaZulu Natal, for serving as an</div> <div> example to the rest of the traditional healers and</div> <div> western doctors in South Africa.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="8ba2cc10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="193" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Mrs. Nokusho Bhengu, who graduated as a sangoma</div> <div> in 1966, was one of the first traditional healers to work</div> <div> in partnership with the doctors of the Valley Trust. In</div> <div> the 1980’s, she and a number of other traditional</div> <div> healers and community members were trained as</div> <div> community health workers. The traditional healers</div> <div> have never seen their simultaneous practice of</div> <div> traditional medicine and western-based primary health</div> <div> care as conflicting. In fact, Mrs. Bhengu feels that all</div> <div> traditional healers should be given a course in primary</div> <div> health care before graduating.</div> <bR> <div> As our editorial states, the traditional healers working</div> <div> within the Valley Trust are involved in numerous</div> <div> aspects of primary health care. There are currently 90</div> <div> traditional healers working within the framework of the</div> <div> Valley Trust, treating patients with traditional methods</div> <div> if they feel this is appropriate, or referring them to the</div> <div> clinic doctors if necessary. The patients report back to</div> <div> the traditional healers after consultation at the clinics.</div> <bR> <div> According to Mrs. Bhengu, the patients are happy with</div> <div> this arrangement as they see the western doctors as</div> <div> treating the symptoms of the disease and the traditional</div> <div> healers as treating the cause. With this system, they</div> <div> perceive their treatment as complete and holistic.</div> <div> Dr Friedman, who played a major role in developing</div> <div> this partnership, says, “Traditional practitioners are an</div> <div> integral part of the culture of the society. Just as with</div> <div> other individuals they are part of dynamic social</div> <div> change. My experience has suggested that in many</div> <div> respects they are leaders of social change and are</div> <div> early rather than late adapters of new</div> <div> ideas….Traditional practitioners are enormously</div> <div> influential in improving people’s health. My own view</div> <div> is that we, as western practitioners, must come to a</div> <div> much closer understanding for ourselves of traditional</div> <div> healers as a prelude to any policy formulation. I don’t</div> <div> believe we can define a role for traditional practitioners</div> <div> unless it is done in the spirit of genuine partnership.”</div> <div> (From “Achieving partnerships with traditional healers/</div> <div> isangomas” by Dr Irwin Friedman, NPPHCN, 1997).</div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>  Subscribe to The Botanical Source free newsletter:<br><br> <form action="http://freeautobot.com/cgi-bin/autores/autores.cgi" target="_blank"> <input type=hidden name="do" value="add_lead_external"> <input type=hidden name="Username" value="botanical"> <input type=hidden name="Stop_Status" value="Active"> <input type=hidden name="Cycle_Number" value="0"> <input type=hidden name="Success_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id310.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Failure_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id309.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Notes" value="Added from opt-in form"> Email : <input type=text name="Email" value=""><br> <input type=submit value="Submit"> </form>   </B></div> <div> <B>[ Opens a new window. ]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Privacy Policy</U></B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> :</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a000000000.png" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We do not publish or share your email address with anyone.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B>Return to Herbal Products.</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><B>Return to Articles.</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>