Traditional South African Health Beliefs & Values

The World Health Organization classifies traditional medicine in South Africa as:

“The sum total of all knowledge and practices, whether explicable or not, used in diagnosis, prevention and eliminations of physical, mental, or societal imbalance, and relying exclusively on practical experience and observation handed down from generation to generation, whether verbally or in writing.”

The study of traditional medicine and healers is coined by medical anthropologists as “ethnomedicine”. In South Africa, there are generally two kinds of traditional healers, sangomas or izinyangas (Richter). 

Around 80% of the South African population consult sangomas or inzinyangas for medical related issues. (South African Tourism). 

Sangomas

These traditional healers play the role of a diviner-diagnostician. Sangoma's believe they are not healers by choice, they are called by ancestors to be healers. During the ceremony they talk in tongues, chant, play the drums and go in to a trance where they communicate with the spirits of their ancestors. If the healing fails, they believe there is a negative impact on the person such as illness, instability or insanity. These healers are expected to diagnose hidden illnesses behind someone's misfortune or sickness so they can prescribe the appropriate actions to be taken (South Africa Tourism).

Izinyangas

These are the herbal healers of South Africa who commonly work with sangomas in healing, but specialize in purely physical illnesses. Izinyangas heal using herbs and natural indigenous African plants (Richter). The organization that represents all registered practitioners of Phytotheraphy in South Africa is called The South Africa Association of Herbal Practitioners (SAAHP). 

HIV/AIDS

South Africa with the highest population of HIV/AIDS

The largest health issue in South Africa is the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In fact, South Africa has the largest amount of people with HIV/AIDS in the world. The most recent statistics from 2011 report that about 5.6 million people were infected with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. There were 270,000 reported deaths due to HIV/AIDS in 2011 and an estimated 2.1 million children were left orphans due to AIDS (UNAIDS). According to the World Health Organization, South Africa has a maternal mortality ratio of 310 deaths per 100,000 live births (WHO). 

What’s being done to aid the epidemic?

The South African government has been fighting against the epidemic with programs like “Ketlaphela”, a 6 billion dollar pharmaceutical plant that is expected to be finished in 2016 (South African Government Info). However, seeing that 80% of the South African population consult with traditional healers, branches of the counseling Non-Governmental Organizations Lifeline provide workshops to train traditional healers in basic counseling skills, personal growth, and HIV/AIDS awareness. Meanwhile, healers are practicing a technique that uses traditional herbs to magically “lock” women and immobilze men from sexual relations outside of marriage (Richter).

Other medical issues relevant to South Africa include malaria, tuberculosis, and malnutrition. 

South African Health Care

There is health care in South Africa, however it thought to be limited to those with coverage or the money to pay for treatments. The South African government-subsidized public hospitals are overstressed, and understaffed. However, there is a highly developed traditional medical sector of herbalists and diviners who provide treatment for physical and psycho-spiritual illnesses. U.S. practitioners should be aware that there is a shortage of health care practitioners in South Africa, and that most of the population is not partial to western medicine (Coplan).

Therapeutic Uses of Foods/Herbs

Milk is commonly used to aid illnesses in South Africa. The Vatsonga people who are located in the Republic of South Africa use a home remedy of milk to treat the sick child, followed by isolation, sexual restrictions and cultural ceremonies. All milk diets can help prevent dehydration when patients are sick (Lebese). 

Sugar, peanuts, and vegetable oil are distributed in South Africa through a program called Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food, which aids malnourished children throughout the world. They also import milk powder, and vitamin mineral mix (WHO). 

 Sutherlandia (left) and Hypoxis hemerocallidea (right)

These two native plants to South Africa are used in treating many ailments, but most commonly known for their treatment to HIV/AIDS. Sutherlandia has also been used in the treatment of cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, influenza, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, peptic ulcers, gastritis, reflux esophagitis, menopausal symptoms, anxiety, and clinical depression (Mill). 

Aloe marlothii: Used in S.A. as a dried powder in snuff. It's very dangerous and can cause cancer. If plant’s leaves are boiled in sugar water can be used for worm infection and medicine for tape worms (Oxenham).

Agapanthus: Used for healing in South Africa, used as medicinal and magical healing plant. The Xhosa women take its root after 6 months of pregnancy to ensure an easy birth. After birth the child is washed in the same substance before breastfeeding for strength and health. Other tribes believe it brings fertility and pregnancy. The Zulu tribe of SA uses plant as a treatment for heart disease, chest pains, tightness, paralysis, coughs and colds (Oxenham).