MAAS / Department of African Studies / This study explored into the effects of traditional medicine on reproductive health of rural women. Negative reports associated with traditional medicine due to bogus traditional practitioners expose most women to the harmful consequences of concoctions supplied and administered on them. However, factors such as people’s great confidence in traditional medicine and high costs associated with conventional Western medical treatments lead most rural women to traditional medicine usage. The study examined women’s perspectives on traditional medicine, factors which led rural women to use traditional medicine, meanings that people make about women and reproductive health, reproductive health implications of using traditional medicine as well as remedies for ensuring that traditional medicine is safe for women’s reproductive health. The study was grounded on the critical and socio-cultural theory. An explorative qualitative research was used. Data was collected through open-ended questions, observation as well as focus group interviews and then analysed using the thematic analysis method. The study participants consisted of rural women, traditional healers, elderly people and Western-trained doctors who were all sampled using non-probability sampling methods. The findings of the study showed that African traditional medicine plays a pivotal role in reproductive health care by offering readily available, cheap, culturally-oriented and accessible health care for most rural women. However, it was noted that the use of African traditional medicine by unqualified practitioners and the incorrect usage of the medicine by patients resulted in negative results that could lead to death or barrenness. Thus, the study recommends an introduction of a regulatory framework on the production, storage, use and trade of African traditional medicine. / NRF

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / There has recently been a lot of interest in the role of traditional healers in various cultures. This study explores the merit of an integrative approach between western based psychological practices in South Africa and what is known as traditional African healing. In order to do so, this study aims to present the epistemological views of Jungian analytical theory and African healing practices. The purpose is to ascertain whether or not there are sufficient commonalities to allow for relatedness between these two worlds. Jungian analytical thought and practice is reviewed with particular reference to the collective unconscious, archetypes, complexes and dream interpretation as a pathway to individuation. The traditional healer's pervasive role within the context of the African cosmology is explored with particular reference to the understanding of the role of the ancestors, the causes of illnesses and the use of dreams, symbols and rituals in the healing process. The importance of the sacred in both healing modalities is presented. The study employs a qualitative research design with the phenomenological approach as an example of one of the traditions of this design. Interviews with five traditional healers comprise the data for the study. The data is analyzed according to the procedure recommended by Moustakas (1994). The interviews focused specifically on eliciting information regarding the calling and the training process of the traditional healer. It is proposed that the two approaches to healing investigated in this study present possible mechanisms to bridge the divide between the westernized approaches to healing and that of the non-technical practitioner. It is further proposed that this will have implications for the broadening of the training and implementation of psychology in South Africa today.

Bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides) is a medicinal herbal tea, which is used for cleansing or purifying the blood, treating boils, bad acne as well as infected wounds and cuts. A. phylicoides also has the potential to be used as an ornamental cut flower due to its beautiful flowers. Because of the many uses of bush tea, it faces problems of being over harvested and exploited. Therefore, there is a need to study more about the plant for possible domestication. A questionnaire survey was conducted in selected villages of Thohoyandou and Nzhelele in Venda, Limpopo Province, by means of personal interviews. The aim of the survey was to gather indigenous knowledge and validate the uses of bush tea from the local people. Interviews were conducted on three types of respondents, viz. traditional healers (31%), street sellers (25%) and bearers of indigenous knowledge (44%). A total of one hundred respondents were interviewed. One important finding of the study was that people from the area of study possess a remarkable knowledge of the plant and its uses to treat a wide range of physical ailments. The bush tea plant is used as medicine, health tea as well as a traditional broom. Some of these ailments that could be treated using bush tea were headaches, stomachache, influenza and leg wounds. It is known to have aphrodisiac properties and it can also be used to cleanse the womb, kidney, and veins and to purify blood. The plant was harvested in different ways depending on the reason for harvesting. Results from the survey indicated that the majority of the respondents had no interest in propagating the bush tea plant, few respondents showed interest in propagating the plant. They also showed enhanced knowledge about the uses of other medicinal plants. A tunnel experiment was also conducted at the Hatfield Experimental Farm of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The effects of growing media (pine bark and sand) and fertigation frequencies (0.4 ℓ/day, 1 ℓ/day, 2 ℓ/day, 2 ℓ/2nd day and 2 ℓ/ week) on growth and yield of bush tea were studied. Growing media and fertigation frequencies significantly affected the growth performance and yield of bush tea. The growth rate of bush tea between the autumn season and winter season was higher than between winter and spring season. Greater number of stems and shoots were observed in sand grown plants as compared to pine bark grown plants. Sand grown plants had a higher root mass as compared to those of pine bark grown plants over both seasons, with nonsignificant differences in the dry root mass in winter (90 days after planting). Plants grown in sand had significantly longer roots (P≤ 0,05) than plants grown in pine bark at 90 days after planting. However, at 180 days after planting the differences in root lengths were no longer significant. Fertigation frequencies caused significant differences in growth performance and yield of bush tea. Plants fertigated with 1 ℓ/day were significantly the tallest, followed by plants fertigated with 0.4 ℓ/day, 2 ℓ/day, 2 ℓ/2nd day and 2 ℓ/ week. Our results confirmed that bush tea could grow up to 1 metre high (1.08 m). In addition, fertigation frequency of 1 ℓ/day resulted in plants with greater stem and leaf mass (both fresh and dry), thus higher yields. Fertigation frequency of 2 ℓ/day was found to be too high and hence reduced oxygen supply to the roots and consequently retarded above plant growth. Sand grown plants also produced more flowers than pine bark grown plants. Overall, plants grown in sand media had superior stem and shoot mass, leaf mass, root mass and flower mass compared to plants grown in pine bark. Plants that received insufficient amount of water (2 ℓ /week) resulted in stunted growth and produced the least yield. In conclusion, bush tea plants performed better in sand growth media than in pine bark growth media. An optimum application rate of 1 ℓ/day was ideal for growth and performance of bush tea as the plant performed better under this fertigation frequency. / Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Thesis (Ph. D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Eurocentric literature has contributed towards the understanding of homosexuality for centuries. However, there is very little literature on perceptions of homosexuality from an African perspective. Based on this historical gap, the aim of the current study was to explore Northern Sotho traditional healers’ perceptions of homosexuality in the Capricorn District in Limpopo Province, South Africa. This was with the intention of documenting themes pertinent to Northern Sotho culture regarding homosexuality. Ten (10) participants (7 females and 3 males) were interviewed in the current study and they were selected using snowball sampling. Data was collected using individual face-to-face interviews guided by semi-structured questions and analysed using Thematic content analysis (TCA). The study was underpinned by Afrocentricity. The main themes and sub-themes which emerged from the data analysis were: homosexuality threatens family structure and values; homosexuality is regarded as a taboo and a disgrace; homosexuality and ancestral calling; historical evidence of homosexuality; homosexuality is confusing; homosexuality and western culture; homosexuality and cleansing (mourning process); homosexuality, traditional healing and ancestral calling; homosexuality and initiation schools as well as proposed interventions to curb homosexuality. The results of the study suggest that understanding homosexuality is not consistent with Northern Sotho culture. The study contributes to knowledge and information within Northern Sotho culture and offers suggestions for indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), academic training, policy development and legislation in terms of homosexuality and the indigenous culture. The study also offers guidelines, which health care workers and any other relevant personnel who work closely with homosexuals, should be cognisant of. Furthermore, valuable lessons were also reasoned from the current study in terms of homosexuality and Northern Sotho culture in the area where the research took place.

Using data collected in 2007 for Addis Ababa Mortality Surveillance, the paper examines the effect of cause of death/type of illness on choice of health care in adults 12 years and above. The multinomial logit model using bootstrapped standard errors is used to investigate the relationship between dominant type of treatment and the covariates: cause of death, gender, age, education, occupation, ethnicity and religion. Availability of water, television and telephone in the household are used as a proxy for economic status. After controlling for duration of illness (exposure), type of illness, gender and marital status are significant. Those who die of HIV/TB and cancer behave similar in way they seek help, and have high likelihood of using traditional healers as the first point for help compared to those who died as a result of other illnesses. Thus the study concludes that cause of death; gender and marital status affect choice of health service.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Eurocentric literature has contributed towards the understanding of homosexuality for centuries. However, there is very little literature on perceptions of homosexuality from an African perspective. Based on this historical gap, the aim of the current study was to explore Northern Sotho traditional healers’ perceptions of homosexuality in the Capricorn District in Limpopo Province, South Africa. This was with the intention of documenting themes pertinent to Northern Sotho culture regarding homosexuality. Ten (10) participants (7 females and 3 males) were interviewed in the current study and they were selected using snowball sampling. Data was collected using individual face-to-face interviews guided by semi-structured questions and analysed using Thematic content analysis (TCA). The study was underpinned by Afrocentricity. The main themes and sub-themes which emerged from the data analysis were: homosexuality threatens family structure and values; homosexuality is regarded as a taboo and a disgrace; homosexuality and ancestral calling; historical evidence of homosexuality; homosexuality is confusing; homosexuality and western culture; homosexuality and cleansing (mourning process); homosexuality, traditional healing and ancestral calling; homosexuality and initiation schools as well as proposed interventions to curb homosexuality. The results of the study suggest that understanding homosexuality is not consistent with Northern Sotho culture. The study contributes to knowledge and information within Northern Sotho culture and offers suggestions for indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), academic training, policy development and legislation in terms of homosexuality and the indigenous culture. The study also offers guidelines, which health care workers and any other relevant personnel who work closely with homosexuals, should be cognisant of. Furthermore, valuable lessons were also reasoned from the current study in terms of homosexuality and Northern Sotho culture in the area where the research took place. Keywords: Afrocentricity, Culture, Homosexuality, Northern Sotho, Traditional Healer.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Nursing))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The process for the incorporation, integration or collaboration of traditional healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa was marred by an array of mixed attitudes from all the parties concerned, namely traditional healers, patients, biomedical personnel, and the policy makers. The variety of approaches for inclusion of the traditional healers into the National Health Care System of South Africa was a further indication of the complexity of the situation. The possibility of functioning together between traditional healers and biomedical personnel existed before 1990 when the two groups met in Johannesburg in 1986 to discuss ways by which functioning together can be established. A series of meetings and discussions followed after which came the promulgation of the Chiropractors Homeopaths and Allied Health Services Professionals Act of 1996, which gives traditional healers their due recognition but does not include them as part of health care providers. The process of functioning together is a recommendation made by the World Health Organization and the most used terms for this functioning together is, incorporation, integration and collaboration. The process of incorporation can be realised by ensuring that both biomedical personnel and traditional healers remain autonomous, not controlling each other, respecting the existence of one another, as well as each other's own methods of healing. Integration was another method whereby the two health care systems can function together, even though integration differs in context from incorporation. Integration means that the traditional healers will have to function within the health care system under the directions of the biomedical personnel, whereby the patient receives a combination of both treatment methods depending on the problem or diagnosis. The third modality of getting the two health care systems to function together could be by collaboration. Collaboration was seen as a two sided effort whereby the healing methods of one are brought to fore and the most effective one is chosen to cure the patient's identified problem at that time. For the process of functioning together to be meaningful, it was necessary to get the government to review licensing the traditional healer's practices, so as to identify the healing techniques that are of value and use these to treat the patients. It was not really possible to clearly separate the three approaches because they all addressed the issue of having the two health care systems function together to increase health care services and fulfil the patients' health needs. For the purpose of this research the word incorporation was used. In South Africa the traditional healer is identified as the health care choice of 80-9036 of the black population. If this large number of black people uses traditional healing, then it becomes necessary to investigate the manner in which the traditional healer can be utilized effectively in the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa to render the services that the patient needs for his/her health needs. It is for this reason that the researcher aimed at investigating the existing models of incorporation of traditional healers, the perceptions and attitudes of the traditional healers, biomedical personnel, patients and the policy makers regarding incorporation, their views on how this incorporation should be achieved, as well as how the incorporation of traditional healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa could be realised. A qualitative research design and theory generating approach was followed, and the research was conducted in two stages. In stage one qualitative research, participants were traditional healers, biomedical personnel, patients and policy makers, selected by means of non-probable purposive voluntary sampling. Data was collected by means of conducting semi-structured interviews with all the participants in the three identified provinces of South Africa. Field notes were recorded after each interview session. Data analysis was achieved by open coding. A co-coder and the researcher analysed the data independently after which consensus discussions took place to finalise the analysed data. Ethical principles were applied according to the guidelines of the Democratic Nurses Organisation of South Africa and the Department of Health. The second stage which was a theory generation approach, was used to formulate a model for the incorporation of the traditional healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South African. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Nursing))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

The process for the incorporation, integration or collaboration of traditional healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa was marred by an array of mixed attitudes from all the parties concerned, namely traditional healers, patients, biomedical personnel, and the policy makers. The variety of approaches for inclusion of the traditional healers into the National Health Care System of South Africa was a further indication of the complexity of the situation. The possibility of functioning together between traditional healers and biomedical personnel existed before 1990 when the two groups met in Johannesburg in 1986 to discuss ways by which functioning together can be established. A series of meetings and discussions followed after which came the promulgation of the Chiropractors Homeopaths and Allied Health Services Professionals Act of 1996, which gives traditional healers their due recognition but does not include them as part of health care providers. The process of functioning together is a recommendation made by the World Health Organization and the most used terms for this functioning together is, incorporation, integration and collaboration. The process of incorporation can be realised by ensuring that both biomedical personnel and traditional healers remain autonomous, not controlling each other, respecting the existence of one another, as well as each other's own methods of healing. Integration was another method whereby the two health care systems can function together, even though integration differs in context from incorporation. Integration means that the traditional healers will have to function within the health care system under the directions of the biomedical personnel, whereby the patient receives a combination of both treatment methods depending on the problem or diagnosis. The third modality of getting the two health care systems to function together could be by collaboration. Collaboration was seen as a two sided effort whereby the healing methods of one are brought to fore and the most effective one is chosen to cure the patient's identified problem at that time. For the process of functioning together to be meaningful, it was necessary to get the government to review licensing the traditional healer's practices, so as to identify the healing techniques that are of value and use these to treat the patients. It was not really possible to clearly separate the three approaches because they all addressed the issue of having the two health care systems function together to increase health care services and fulfil the patients' health needs. For the purpose of this research the word incorporation was used. In South Africa the traditional healer is identified as the health care choice of 80-9036 of the black population. If this large number of black people uses traditional healing, then it becomes necessary to investigate the manner in which the traditional healer can be utilized effectively in the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa to render the services that the patient needs for his/her health needs. It is for this reason that the researcher aimed at investigating the existing models of incorporation of traditional healers, the perceptions and attitudes of the traditional healers, biomedical personnel, patients and the policy makers regarding incorporation, their views on how this incorporation should be achieved, as well as how the incorporation of traditional healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa could be realised. A qualitative research design and theory generating approach was followed, and the research was conducted in two stages. In stage one qualitative research, participants were traditional healers, biomedical personnel, patients and policy makers, selected by means of non-probable purposive voluntary sampling. Data was collected by means of conducting semi-structured interviews with all the participants in the three identified provinces of South Africa. Field notes were recorded after each interview session. Data analysis was achieved by open coding. A co-coder and the researcher analysed the data independently after which consensus discussions took place to finalise the analysed data. Ethical principles were applied according to the guidelines of the Democratic Nurses Organisation of South Africa and the Department of Health. The second stage which was a theory generation approach, was used to formulate a model for the incorporation of the traditional healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South African. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Nursing))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006

Dans les trois anciens pays indochinois, le Vietnam, le Cambodge et la RDP Lao, la médecine traditionnelle rencontre un succès grandissant auprès de la population. Conscients de l’importance de la médecine traditionnelle, les trois gouvernements l’ont reconnue et intégrée, chacun différemment, dans leur système de soins de santé national. L’encadrement juridique de cette médecine millénaire diffère d’un pays à l’autre. La législation de la médecine traditionnelle du Cambodge demeure particulièrement faible. De plus, de nombreux problèmes persistent et menacent la préservation et le développement de cet héritage précieux. Avec l’aide de partenaires internationaux, les trois gouvernements aséaniens tentent de renforcer l’encadrement juridique de leurs médecines et de leurs pharmacopées traditionnelles / In the three former Indochinese countries, Vietnam, Cambodia and PDR Lao, traditional medicine success is growing among the population. Recognizing the importance of traditional medicine, the three governments have recognized and integrated it in a different way into the national health care system. The legal framework of this millennial medicine differs from one country to another. Traditional medicine legislation in Cambodia remains particularly weak. Moreover, many problems persist and threaten the preservation and development of this precious heritage. With the help of international partners, the three ASEAN governments are trying to strengthen the legal framework for their traditional medicines and pharmacopoeias.