Traditional healers and the treatment of sexually transmitted illnesses in rural Zambia

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 15 - 25
• Main Authors: Ndubani, Phillimon, Höjer, Bengt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-10-1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Competence; Cognitive problems, arts and sciences, folk traditions, folklore; disease diagnosis; Ethnology; Female; General pharmacology; Healer; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Services, Indigenous; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Male; Medical practices; Medical sciences; medical treatment; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinal plants; Medicine, African Traditional; Middle Aged; n'ganga; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal - therapeutic use; rural areas; Rural Health; sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - classification; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - diagnosis; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - therapy; Sexually transmitted illnesses; Surveys and Questionnaires; Traditional medicine; Traditional sciences and medicine; Zambia; Zambia; Africa; Medicinal plants; Traditional medicine; Zambia; Healer; Sexually transmitted illnesses; Human; Monocotyledones; Rural environment; Olacaceae; Musaceae; Medicinal plant; Apocynaceae; Musa; Sexually transmitted disease; Treatment; Folk medicine; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Euphorbiaceae; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Solanum; Diagnosis; Phytotherapy
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-8741(99)00075-6

Lately there has been increasing interest regarding the practice of traditional healers and their use of indigenous plants to treat illnesses. Twenty-three local healers
(n’ganga) in Chiawa, rural Zambia, were interviewed about knowledge, practices, and their use of indigenous plants in the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) among male clients. They were also asked about their perceptions of modern medicine. The study revealed that all the
n’ganga diagnosed and treated three main types of STIs. They named them as:
songeya, doroba and bola-
bola. They treated the illnesses with
Strychnos cocculoides;
Musa species;
Solanum delegoense;
Ximenia caffra;
Diplorynchus condylocarpon; and
Croton megalobotrys. Ten of the
n’ganga perceived modern medicine to be effective against STIs and five of them sometimes referred some of the clients to the local health centre. It is being argued that a scheme to incorporate the
n’ganga into STD control activities in which they can be utilised to refer clients to modern medical facilities can be baneficial. Given the necessary health information and support, the
n’ganga may effectively execute this scheme.