The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa

The aim of the srudy was to examine the perceived efficacy of five different cypes of therapies (traditional herbalists, diviners, and prophets, western medicine and psychology) in treating 25 common complaints ranging from AIDS to diarrhoea. Participants were interviewed face-to-face with a questi...

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Main Author: Karel Peltzer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of the Free State 2024-12-01
Series:Acta Academica
Online Access:https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/8879
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author Karel Peltzer
author_facet Karel Peltzer
author_sort Karel Peltzer
collection DOAJ
description The aim of the srudy was to examine the perceived efficacy of five different cypes of therapies (traditional herbalists, diviners, and prophets, western medicine and psychology) in treating 25 common complaints ranging from AIDS to diarrhoea. Participants were interviewed face-to-face with a questionnaire measuring their state of health, their experience of traditional therapies, their sources of infurmation about cradicional therapies, and their perception of the efficacy of traditional and western therapies in the treatment of each condition. The majority of the participants clearly saw medical therapy as more effective in the treatment of most (18) complaints. Traditional therapy (practised by herbalists and diviners) was perceived as being more effective for traditional illn~ and equally effective for infertility, venereal disease, mental illness, and epilepsy, as well as equally ineffective for AIDS. Overall, western therapies were seen as signifiamdy more effective than traditional therapies.
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spelling doaj-art-5594328165854fbb98f87b5e7334a7a72024-12-07T11:38:01ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Academica0587-24052415-04792024-12-01322The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South AfricaKarel Peltzer The aim of the srudy was to examine the perceived efficacy of five different cypes of therapies (traditional herbalists, diviners, and prophets, western medicine and psychology) in treating 25 common complaints ranging from AIDS to diarrhoea. Participants were interviewed face-to-face with a questionnaire measuring their state of health, their experience of traditional therapies, their sources of infurmation about cradicional therapies, and their perception of the efficacy of traditional and western therapies in the treatment of each condition. The majority of the participants clearly saw medical therapy as more effective in the treatment of most (18) complaints. Traditional therapy (practised by herbalists and diviners) was perceived as being more effective for traditional illn~ and equally effective for infertility, venereal disease, mental illness, and epilepsy, as well as equally ineffective for AIDS. Overall, western therapies were seen as signifiamdy more effective than traditional therapies. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/8879
spellingShingle Karel Peltzer
The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa
Acta Academica
title The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa
title_full The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa
title_fullStr The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa
title_short The perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the Northern province, South Africa
title_sort perceived efficacy of western and traditional health care in an urban population in the northern province south africa
url https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/8879
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