"The aim of this paper is to highlight the human rights dimension in the protection of traditional healing practices (THP) in Malawi. At first glance there might not seem to be considerable human rights issues involved. However, the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic entails that traditional health practitioners have a crucial role to play in ensuring the right to health. Furthermore, THP represent an important component of the cultural tapestry of Malawian life. It is this combined cultural and health import that prompts this study. ... This paper explores the relationship between THP and the progressive realisation of the right to health. An investigation is made of the extent to which suppression of THP impacts the right to health in an attempt to discern whether there is a need to regulate and protect these practices. There is some tension between THP, as a cultural right, and the right to health given that THP have the potential to infringe peoples' right to health. However, there is also an intersection between the two rights since health is integrally related to culture and to cultural practices. A person's place in their culture is an essential part of their self-identity, so that if a culture is at risk, that person's psychological and emotional health is also at risk. Consequently this paper will consider the meaning, content and role of the right to culture (is it a collective or individual right?) and whether THP are part of culture, deserving protection as such. ... This paper is divided into five chapters. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the objectives of the study and a definition of THP. The chapter also discusses the research methodology employed in the paper and reviews the main literary works consulted by the author. To establish that THP form an aspect of culture, it is necessary to examine the qualities of THP and compare those to the qualities of recognised forms of culture. The second chapter comprises of an investigation of the legal provisions relating to culture and the various concepts of culture in human rights law. An attempt is then made to place THP within the context of the right to culture. The relationship between THP and the right to health is discussed in the third chapter. In this study it is suggested that the core minimum content of the right to health includes the right to an accessible and acceptable primary health source, and that this implies a right to access THP. The chapter attempts to show that non-regulation impedes THP thus violating the state's obligation to respect the right to health. In the fourth chapter there is an evaluation of the South African Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2004 (the TH Act). Essentially, the law in Malawi defines and licenses the 'practice of medicine' in terms that entrench the medical profession and that exclude all other forms of healing as the 'unauthorised' practice of medicine, a crime. This chapter considers whether the South African legislation is a model for the inclusion of THP. More specifically, whether the development of THP as a form of culture is captured by the TH Act and whether Malawi can draw guidance from this legislation. The fifth and final chapter concludes the paper. The chapter reverts to the original research questions, the concepts propounded in the paper and the various conclusions drawn to establish whether the original problems presented have been resolved. This concluding chapter also contains recommendations to the Government of Malawi ensuing from the study." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2005. / Prepared under the supervision of Prof. Nii Ashie Kotey at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

PhD (Sociology) / Department of Sociology / The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of traditional healing practices on anti-retroviral treatment adherence in Vhembe District. This qualitative study used an explorative design to envisage the aim. A cross-sectional snowball sample was used to draw a sample of 9 participants from the 4 municipalities of Vhembe District. The data collection methods were; in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and key informants’ interviews. The 3 data collection techniques ensured triangulation for more complete and well-validated outcomes of the study. The researcher used the Van Manen method to analyse data. Contrary to popular belief that THPs promote non-adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), the study found out that the majority of Traditional Healing Practitioners (THPs) encourage and positively influence PLWHA to adhere to anti-retroviral treatment. Apart from a minority of participants who claimed to cure HIV/AIDS, the majority acknowledged and admitted that traditional healing practices do not cure HIV/AIDS but it only heals opportunistic infections. As a result, the majority of THPs influences PLWHA to adhere to anti-retroviral therapy (ART). However, the positive influence of THPs is challenged by individual and social-cultural factors that are beyond THPs’ control which influence treatment adherence such as; traditional and cultural beliefs, side effects of ARVs, nurses’ attitude, inconveniences, lack of transport, personal choices, lack of trust in ARVs and fear of loss of the Disability Grant. It is on this backdrop that study findings prompted devising of a model and a 5 phase support program for intervention. / NRF

The world, including developing countries such as South Africa, is burdened with deeply rooted women sexual health challenges such as dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhoea, also known as, "period pains", while not life-threatening, has been troubling many women of childbearing age since ancient times. Many interventions and drugs are available and approved for use in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. However, dysmenorrhea remains least understood, many cultures and religions of the African countries still regard it as a "taboo" subject because it is a sexual and reproductive issue, and means of coping are considered indigenously "women’s knowledge”, as such increasingly, women negotiate with cultural beliefs and practices in the management of dysmenorrhea. South Africa, as a multicultural society, allows the practice of different types of health care systems such as dysmenorrhea management. Extensive efforts are being made by the government and the healthcare sector to understand and document the indigenous health knowledge for safe practices in improving the overall health of South Africans. Moreover, this study was conducted. This study aimed to understand the indigenous perspectives of the meaning and treatment modalities of dysmenorrhea among Batlokwa women. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to select participants. The findings were used to develop strategies to empower Batlokwa women with dysmenorrhea knowledge. This study was premised on a conviction that Batlokwa women have a unique perspective on dysmenorrhea meaning and treatment modalities based on their ethnicity background. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 was the empirical phase which was qualitative and was divided into two parts to address the first two objectives of the study. The population for Phase 1 constituted of the Batlokwa Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) and Indigenous Knowledge Holders (IKHs). In part one modified photovoice approach was used to collect data in four different stages: • • Stage 1 – brainstorming and photograph taking training • • Stage 2 – taking photographs • • Stage 3 – Individual interviews • Stage 4 – modified Lekgotla discussion Data analysis for part one followed steps of photovoice data analysis guided by questioning the acronym “PHOTO” (Hussey 2006). The process involved photograph selection, contextualising and codifying. Photovoice enabled Batlokwa women (Traditional Health Practitioners and Indigenous Knowledge Holders) to share indigenous dysmenorrhea knowledge. Photographs taken by the participants were used to understand their perspectives regarding the meaning and treatment modalities of dysmenorrhea. Part two used in-depth interviews to collect data from women. In-depth interviews were conducted with different women to enhance the knowledge gained from the photovoice study. It was also to capture additional information that should have been missed during the photovoice study. Content data analysis was used in part two to provide detailed guidance for the coding process and analysis. The Africana Womanism theory was used as a framework to guide the study process and discussion of the findings and was grounded within critical realism worldview. This provided means to follow a systematic structure of understanding how the indigenous dysmenorrhea knowledge surfaced and maintained within the Batlokwa ethnicity. Five major themes were identified: holistic understanding of dysmenorrhea meaning; self-naming and definition of dysmenorrhea; diagnostic processes in indigenous health care practices; treatment modalities of dysmenorrhea; roles of THPs and IKHs in treatment and prevention of dysmenorrhea. Phase 2 addressed the third objective, which developed strategies to empower Batlokwa women with dysmenorrhea knowledge. Experts from indigenous knowledge holders, traditional health practitioners, health and education sectors. To reach consensus, a modified Lekgotla discussion utilising an expert panel reviewed items for importance, clarity, applicability, validity and reliability, with items subsequently amended or removed as such clear strategies which apply to the demographic group was developed to empower Batlokwa women with dysmenorrhea knowledge / Thesis (PhD (Nursing))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Nursing Science / PhD (Nursing) / Unrestricted

Thesis (M. Sc. (Microbiology)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / Informal street traders and traditional health practitioners at Ga Maja (Limpopo Province) primarily offer consumers semi-processed herbal concoctions that are indicated to have blood-cleansing, immune-boosting, detoxifying, antidiarrheal, antiHIV/AIDS and pain-relieving therapeutic properties. The focus of this study was to validate the pharmacological effects and safety of these herbal concoctions as indicated by the traders. Five herbal concoctions and their medicinal plant recipies used for their preparation were purchased from five independent traders. A laboratory concoction was prepared according to the traders’ instructions. Possible microbial contaminants were identified using Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-offlight mass spectrometry and VITEK 2. Nutritional content of the concoctions was determined by a plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was determined using standard chemical tests and thin layer chromatography. Total polyphenol content was quantified calorimetrically. Antioxidant activity was quantified using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing power assays. Antimicrobial activities were determined using a broth micro-dilution assay and bioautography. Anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity was used to determine the antiviral potential of the concoctions. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined using the cyclooxygenase inhibition assays and possible cytotoxic effects of the concoctions were evaluated using MTT cell viability assay. Growth on potato dextrose and nutrient agar plates indicated heavy microbial contamination. Sodium, potassium and zinc were most abundant in the concoctions. The concoctions had similar phytochemical profiles, and together with plant decoctions consisted primarily of polyphenolic constituents. Generally, some plant decoctions had higher antioxidant (EC50: 15.71 – 40.87 µg/mL) and antibacterial (MIC: 0.04 – 0.63 mg/mL) activities. The antimicrobial activities of the concoctions were as a result of synergistic effects of the compounds because no single compound was observed to have antimicrobial activities on the bioautograms. Combination studies showed that the combination of crude decoctions from different plant species resulted in reduced antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities. The laboratory concoction had higher anti-HIV reverse transcriptase activity (EC50: 2.90 µg/mL) than the positive controls used (EC50: 36.65 – 40.90 µg/mL). The concoctions also demonstrated considerable antiinflammatory activity. The lack of standardisation of phytomedicines reduces their xxi pharmacological potential and consistency. However, this study validated the ethnopharmacological use of the different plant species and herbal concoctions towards the treatment of human immune-deficiency virus, pain caused by inflammation, infectious diarrhoea and for immune-boosting. This study also highlighted the complexities associated with combinations of aqueous extracts and the importance of appropriate knowledge on which plant species are to be mixed to enhance their therapeutic properties. Although the concoctions did not exhibit cyctotoxic effects, toxicities may arise from endotoxins produced by the microbial contaminants. Hygienic processing and packaging are essential to ensure that consumers receive quality products that are safe to consume.

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Studies by the World Health Organisation have shown that mental illness is an international health concern across the globe, with one in four people (25%) suffering from mental disorders in both developed and developing countries. In many African countries traditional health practitioners are the health care providers of choice for individuals, families and communities. The aim of this study was to explore methods used by Shona speaking traditional health practitioners in the prevention of mental illness in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. A qualitative research design was used in the present study. Ten Shona speaking traditional health practitioners (male=9; female=1) were selected through purposive sampling and requested to participate in the study. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic content analysis. It was found that traditional healers tend to commonly understand and conceptualise mental illness in terms of the causes instead attaching nosological labels to these conditions. The findings of the study also show that most of the traditional health practitioners interviewed had similar methods of preventing mental illness both in families and individuals. Culture was found to be central in shaping how the traditional health practitioners understand and prevent mental illness. Ancestors were found to be pivotal in specifically determining the methods to prevent mental illness for each client. The study is concluded by recommending closer collaboration between the dominant Western health care system and traditional healing in order to improve mental health care provision in Zimbabwe.

Thesis (M. A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Though recent South African legislation and policy documents have called for closer collaboration between Western-trained and traditional health practitioners, there is little evidence to show that there is a formal collaboration between the two categories of health care providers. Located within the interpretivist paradigm, and using an exploratory descriptive design, the researcher sought to explore the perceptions of Western-trained health practitioners (WTHPs) in Sekhukhune District (Limpopo Province) towards collaboration between themselves and traditional health practitioners (THPs) in treating mental illness. Seventeen WTHPs (males = 07; females = 10) from three hospitals in Sekhukhune District were selected through purposive sampling and requested to take part in the study. The sample comprised of five clinical psychologists, five medical officers working in psychiatric units, and seven psychiatric nurses. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic analysis. Specifically, Renata Tesch’s eight steps were used to analyse the data. The following psychological themes emerged from the study: (a) shared goals on collaboration; (b) a good effect on collaboration is anticipated; (c) managing interdependence between traditional and Western-trained practitioners; (d) proposed ideal structures of governance to govern the collaboration; (e) recommended legislations and policies on collaboration; (f) suggested factors that may foster collaboration; (g) proposed factors that hinder collaboration; and, (h) referral systems that exist in the health care. The findings suggest that some WTHPs are willing to collaborate with THPs, especially if proper guidelines for collaboration could be provided by the government. Some recommendations on an ideal structure of governance and legislation on collaboration were made by the WTHPs. The WTHPs highlighted factors that may hinder or facilitate closer collaboration between themselves and THPs in providing mental health services to communities.

MA (African Studies) / Centre for African Studies / This study explored indigenous medicinal knowledge of Phonda in the Vhembe District. It has been noticed that phonda is becoming a scarce crop. The objectives entail seeking to solicit information on the uses of phonda, to understand the attitudes of local households towards phonda and to establish what can be done to restore the cultivation of phonda. The study used qualitative method involving unstructured interviews to collect and thematically analyse data. Purposive sampling and snowballing methods were used to make up the study sample. From literature, it is known that traditional health practitioners used phonda for treatment of certain diseases and illnesses. Phonda is no longer common, but the study sought to encourage the cultivation of phonda. The study employed an Afrocentric paradigm of social change as the conceptual framework. The study found that many households no longer plough phonda as they used to in the past. The study recommends that people should be educated on the importance of phonda to encourage them to plough it. Additionally, the researcher recommends further studies into different purposes of phonda and areas to boost its farming.

MSc (Botany) / Department of Botany / Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are non-native species that have spread beyond the introduction site; become abundant to an extent that they serve as agents of change that also threaten native biological diversity (Garcia-Berthou, 2007). IAPs have medicinal applications for the treatment of various aliments in humans (Jäger et al., 1996). In this study, an ethnomedicinal survey was conducted on medicinal uses of invasive alien plant species in order to identify and investigate the various disease treatment methods employed by Bapedi traditional health practitioners within Capricorn District. Six traditional health practitioners were randomly selected, via the snowball method from each of the five local municipalities namely: Aganang, Blouberg, Lepelle-Nkupi, Molomole and Polokwane. The whole survey included 30 traditional health practitioners. A semi structured questionnaire was administered to document information about the medicinal uses of IAPs from participants. The collected data from the questionnaire was captured in Microsoft Excel 2010 and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study recorded 22 IAPs belonging to 14 plant families. Records or data collected show invasive alien plants species to have been used for treatment of different alignments amongst Bapedi traditional health practitioners. Plant families with the most recorded species include: Solanaceae and Myrtaceae with 18.2% for both of them. The plant parts most frequently used in descending order were as follows: roots vii (40%), followed by the leaves (39%), fruits (7%), thorns (6%), bark (4%), seeds (2%) and lastly stems (2%). Decoction was recorded as the most dominant method used during medicinal preparations (n = 176) and flu was recorded as the most treated ailment amongst traditional health practitioners (n = 29). Apart from clearing IAPs as part of management strategy by South African government, there are other alternative innovative ways that can be employed to ensure that the number of IAPs introduced does not exceed beyond measure.This could be achieved by encouraging local people to use them as either medicinal sources or by incorporating them into any other local ethnobotanical use. The new innovative ways (such as traditional health practitioners utilizing the IAPs instead of endangered plants or indigenous plants species) can bring in some form of relief to the already declining indigenous species populations. Research scholars from different research institutes and higher education research centres can regard IAPs used medicinally as source of new pharmaceutical leads to create new medications. With such attention turned to alien invasive species, their survival as well as their spread will be kept on check at the same time creating a control measure to their spread with little effort. Further laboratory-based studies are needed to determine efficiency and safety of the IAPs used by traditional health practitioners in this study. / NRF