Open AccessTraditional healers and cancer prevention
Author(s) -
M. Steyn,
A Müller
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
curationis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.408
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 2223-6279
pISSN - 0379-8577
DOI - 10.4102/curationis.v23i3.675
Subject(s) - professionalization , cancer prevention , medicine , health care , alternative medicine , nursing , preventive healthcare , preventive care , cancer , family medicine , public health , political science , sociology , social science , pathology , law
The increase in the incidence of cancer in South Africa necessitates the expansion of preventative efforts. This study shows that traditional healers in Atteridgeville are consulted by a range of people in their communities, have a basic knowledge of cancer, provide health education to their patients and are willing to participate in cancer preventative strategies. They are therefore ideally suited to augment the services of westernized health care workers. The issue of professionalization is explored and a procedure is suggested whereby the training of traditional healers can be enhanced so as to facilitate their professionalization and their collaboration with other health care workers in the prevention of cancer.