Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-94). / Khayelitsha (Site B), Michael Mapongwana, lnzame Zabantu and Mzamomhle community health centres in Khayelitsha and Phillipi are overcrowded and overburden with clients. Some of the clients attending these community health centres (CHC's) present with minor health ailments. As a result of overburdening, health care professionals are unable to deal properly with more serious ailments and health education. It is assumed that there is lack of knowledge related to management of minor health ailments in the home situation. This problem of overcrowding of CHC's with clients presenting with minor health ailments was discussed in the community health forums that constituted of health managers from the above mentioned community health centres, clinical facilitators from University of Cape Town, students and older people. In these discussions, it was assumed that due to migration and urbanization, there has been a breakdown in traditional family units whereby in households of clients presenting with minor health ailments, there might be a lack of support from older people. Older people had perceptions that minor health ailments can be contained within the home situation using the indigenous health knowledge carried by them. This knowledge is carried by word of mouth from generation to generation. Nothing has been documented about this knowledge. Ideas were discussed on how minor health ailments could be managed within the home situation and how a relationship could develop between older people and the health professionals in the CHC's that are overcrowded. The community health forum concluded that the first step of dealing with the overcrowding of the community health centres, would be to explore the indigenous health knowledge that is carried by the older people for the management of minor health ailments. A descriptive study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Four focus groups with nine participants in each were conducted using an interview schedule. The data was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to gain understanding of indigenous health knowledge used by older people living in Khayelitsha and Phillipi. Results of the study showed that older people had an extensive knowledge related to management of minor health ailments. According to the participants, there was no distinction between minor and major ailments, all ailments could be managed within the home situation using indigenous health knowledge. The management. strategies that were used by older people were in different forms namely, plants, objects, waste products, artificial foods, other natural resources and belief system. Older people mentioned that their comprehensive approach of managing any ailments resulted from a scarcity of nearby health resource. In the present climate in Khayelitsha and Phillipi where CHC's are overcrowded with clients presenting with minor health ailments and exhausting the present health resources, one could envisage a future whereby indigenous health knowledge could be integrated in the present health dispensation for the management of minor health ailments. Hence the researcher is making recommendations to the management of community health centres to start initiating discussions on how indigenous health knowledge could be integrated into the present health system of community health centres in Khayelitsha and Phillipi.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/9386 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Zonke, Mbuyiseli Simon |
| Contributors | Mji, Gubela, Keikelame, Johanna |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Family Medicine |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters, MMed |
| Format | application/pdf |
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