HOPE Cape Town Trust & Association

In South Africa a large percentage of the population still consult a traditional healer or sangoma before approaching a western medical facility. Sangomas are an important resource to ensure that people get the right information about HIV/AIDS.
HOPE Cape Town has realised that only close co-operation and joint efforts between western trained doctors and traditional health practitioners can combat the deadly pandemic of HIV and AIDS.
There is the need to promote common understanding and respect between traditional and medical health practitioners to work together.

In December 2003, 100 traditional healers, doctors and government officials met to recognise common goals and obstacles to better co-operation. The discussions illustrated the lack of effective communication and ignorance of the different cultures and mistrust. It led to and agreement that there was a base for future co-operation.

In March 2004, the second workshop examined the basic concepts of the HIV structure, the complexity of testing procedures, stages of the disease, drug side effect and social issues.

The third workshop held in May 2004 explored the traditional holistic approach to well being, herbal medicines and spiritual care.

A team of nine sangomas and HOPE Community Health Workers was elected to undergo intensive training to become community referrals points. At the end of the training a memorandum of understanding was signed that provides the basis for future intervention

We acknowledge that nobody has a miracle cure for the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
We acknowledge that the combination of proven ART medication and proven herbal remedies can improve the lives of patients.
We pledge to learn from each other and work together to overcome this disease and in doing this together we support the treatment roll-out of the government of South Africa.
We will conduct workshops where traditional healers can learn about the virus and the treatment options available in hospitals and workshops where doctors and learn from the rich traditional knowledge of traditional health practitioners.
We intend to develop standards for the training of young professionals and the dealings with the patients
We reject all efforts to split our common efforts or to jeopardise these by favouring one side and condemning the other.
We call on everybody in the medical profession to join hands and hearts to overcome the threat of HIV and AIDS in South Africa and all over the world.

The sangomas have been offering counselling at the clinics and their offices. From January 2006 the team meets monthly to review progress. The programme is being monitored and recorded by the anthropologist Dr Jo Wreford for academic purposes.
The pilot project is kindly supported by the German AIDS Foundation, MTU South Africa Pty Ltd and the Round Table Germany.

Pilot Project with Traditional Health Practitioners