Role of traditional healers in psychosocial support in caring for the orphans

A case of Dar-es Salaam City, Tanzania

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4637759
AutoresEdmund J Kayombo (University of Bahrain, autor correspondente), Zakaria H Mbwambo (University of Bahrain), Mariam Massila (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences)
Ano2005
Volume1
Fascículo1
Páginas3-0
Data de publicação2005-12-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1746-4269 • E-ISSN: 1746-4269
EditoraSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/1746-4269-1-3
PMID16270914
PMCIDPMC1266049
OpenAlexW1606068482
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas13

Orphans are an increasing problem in developing countries particularly in Africa; due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic; and needs collective effort in intervention processes by including all stakeholders right from the grass roots level. This paper attempts to present the role of traditional healers in psychosocial support for orphan children in Dar-es-Salaam City with special focus on those whose parents have died because of HIV/AIDS. Six traditional healers who were involved in taking care of orphans were visited at their "vilinge" (traditional clinics). In total they had 72 orphans, 31 being boys and 41 being girls with age range from 3 years to 19. It was learned that traditional healers, besides providing remedies for illnesses/diseases of orphans, they also provided other basic needs. Further, they even provided psychosocial support allowing children to cope with orphan hood life with ease. Traditional healers are living within communities at the grass roots level; and appear unnoticed hidden forces, which are involved in taking care of orphans. This role of traditional healers in taking care of orphans needs to be recognised and even scaling it up by empowering them both in financial terms and training in basic skills of psychosocial techniques in how to handle orphans, in order to reduce discrimination and stigmatisation in the communities where they live

Developing country · Economic growth · Family medicine · Intervention (counseling · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Tanzania · Traditional medicine · Child Nutrition and Water Access · HIV/AIDS Impact and Responses · Medicine · Nursing · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology