Health Beliefs and Practicesin South Africa

Prevailing health problems

Communicable diseasesHIV/AIDSTBMalariaIllnesses from contaminated food/water

Non-communicable diseasesHypertensionMalnutritionRheumatismChildbirth complications

(WHO, 2010)

The health care system

Public and private health services available

Shortage of doctors in public sector (Ataguba, 2010)

60-80% of South Africans rely on traditional health practitioners (THPs) in conjunction with modern services (WHO, 2010).

Traditional health practitioners

Sangoma

Person of high standing in community

Ubuntu philosophy

Mediator between worlds

(Mhame, 2010)

Norms and Taboos

General traditional healing

Midwifery

Bone setting

Food taboos

Mental health

Rehabilitation

(Mhame, 2010)

Community health care workers

Community health care workers are used to bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility.

Holistic, culturally-sensitive, community based care.

Tailored to most salient health risks.

Largely run by non-profit organizations.

Still controversial.

(Van Ginneken, 2010)

Mentor mothers

Peer mentoring between women from adverse conditions

Demonstrated a timely impact on infant and child malnutrition (Roux, 2010)

References

Ataguba, John Ele-Ojo. "Health Care Financing in South Africa: moving toward universal coverage." Continuing Medical Education. February 2010 Vol. 28, Number 2.

Vaughn, M., L., Jacquez, F., & Baker, C., R. (2009). Cultural Health Attributions, Beliefs, and Practices: Effects on Healthcare and Medical Education. The Open Medical Education Journal, 2, 64-74.

Sengwana, M., & Puoane, T. (2004). Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of community health workers about hypertension in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Curationis, 27(1), 65-71.

Roux, I., Roux, K., Comulada, W., Greco, E., Desmond, K., Mbewu, N., & Rotheram-Borus, M. (2010). Home visits by neighborhood Mentor Mothers provide timely recovery from childhood malnutrition in South Africa: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal, 9, 56-56.

Mhame, P., Busia, K., & Kasilo Clinical practices of African traditional medicine, O. (2010). Clinical practices of African traditional medicine. African Health Monitor, 13.

Van Ginneken N, Lewina S, Berridged V. The emergence of community health worker programmes in the late apartheid era in South Africa: an historical analysis. Social Science Medicine. 2010

References

Ataguba, John Ele-Ojo. "Health Care Financing in South Africa: moving toward universal coverage." Continuing Medical Education. February 2010 Vol. 28, Number 2.

Vaughn, M., L., Jacquez, F., & Baker, C., R. (2009). Cultural Health Attributions, Beliefs, and Practices: Effects on Healthcare and Medical Education. The Open Medical Education Journal, 2, 64-74.

Sengwana, M., & Puoane, T. (2004). Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of community health workers about hypertension in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Curationis, 27(1), 65-71.

Roux, I., Roux, K., Comulada, W., Greco, E., Desmond, K., Mbewu, N., & Rotheram-Borus, M. (2010). Home visits by neighborhood Mentor Mothers provide timely recovery from childhood malnutrition in South Africa: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal, 9, 56-56.

Mhame, P., Busia, K., & Kasilo Clinical practices of African traditional medicine, O. (2010). Clinical practices of African traditional medicine. African Health Monitor, 13.

Van Ginneken N, Lewina S, Berridged V. The emergence of community health worker programmes in the late apartheid era in South Africa: an historical analysis. Social Science Medicine. 2010