Traditional healers in Swaziland: Toward improved cooperation between the traditional and modern health sectors

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 18; no. 12; pp. 1071 - 1079
• Main Authors: Green, Edward C., Makhubu, Lydia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1984; Elsevier
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Allied Health Personnel - education; Biological and medical sciences; Delivery of Health Care; Fees, Medical; Female; Health Care; Health Education; Health Professions; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine, Traditional; Mental Healing; Miscellaneous; Phytotherapy; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Societies; Swaziland; Traditional Medicine; Tropical medicine; Swaziland; Folk medicine; Healer; Cooperation; Swaziland
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(84)90167-9

The paper describes applied research efforts, requested by the Swaziland Ministry of Health and funded by U.S. AID, aimed at providing an information base for new government policies regarding traditional healers in Swaziland. Information reported relates to: health care manpower in the traditional sector; treatment seeking behavior in a pluralistic medical setting; traditional health beliefs and practices; payment practices; patterns of patient referral; attempts to establish an association of healers; attitudes of healers toward paraprofessional training; and possibilities for specific types of cooperation between modern and traditional health sectors.