Western and traditional African medicine--working together on AIDS

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7519.785

BMJ 2005;331:785 (1 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7519.785

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Western and traditional African medicine—working together on AIDS

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In southern Africa, antiretroviral drugs are a late entrantin an already vibrant market for AIDS treatments. Traditionalmedicine does not treat HIV infection as such but does providemany supportive therapies. Whatever its credibility in the eyesof university trained doctors, the "neo-traditional" managementof AIDS has gained a space in the market. Recognition of thiseconomic reality could be important for the success of antiretroviraltreatment.

In South Africa's central Free State province 30% of householderssaid they would recommend a traditional healer to manage AIDS,and only half had even heard of antiretrovirals. The low uptakeof free antiretrovirals in countries such as Botswana shouldbe another clue that the treatment is not an easy fix. Amongother problems, people need to know and to accept their HIVstatus before they can receive treatment. The conditions fordisclosure are not good in southern Africa, where the . . . [Full text of this article]

Neil Andersson, executive director

CIET Trust, Saxonwold, South Africa neil@ciet.org