23 Sep 2019

The collaboration of traditional and modern medicine which was attained six years ago is of paramount importance as it aimed at addressing challenges the Central District was facing.

Ministry of Health and Wellness chief health officer, Mr Phenyo Sebonego said this in Serowe during the sixth year anniversary for Botsogo, Dingaka and Baruti committee (BODIBA), which is a health promotion and education committee.

Mr Sebonego said for many years traditional medicine practitioners and modern medicine practitioners shunned one another and the one who suffered was the client.

He said it was until the initiative dawned upon the leadership that those stakeholders work together for the benefit of the clients.

He said there was no doubt that they had differences in the core practices, but because they all aimed to improve the health of their community, they had remarkably united to walk the talk of health.

Mr Sebonego explained that BODIBA was formed in 2013 as an effort to involve the aforementioned key stakeholders concerned with community health.

That had been key in strengthening the working relationship between modern and traditional medicine.

Mr Sebonego however said this initiative had created a platform where health issues concerning the Serowe DHMT were shared with subsequent proposed joint solutions to those issues.

The collaboration was also formed to address the issue of traditional medicine in under five children, where in the past lives were lost due to complications arising from the traditional medicine intoxication.

Mr Sebonego said this collaboration then saw the district experiencing fewer cases of traditional medicine intoxication as traditional practitioners now advocate for using topical treatment and avoid oral treatment.

Since its inception, he said, the team had made remarkable achievements in achieving their mandate.

He cited mobilisation of traditional practitioners to register with recognised traditional medicine associations.

He said through regular trainings, members were empowered to know when to refer their clients to modern medicines such as in cases of diarrhoea in the under five children because they had been equipped with the knowledge of identifying a child who needed hospital intervention.

Mr Sebonego noted that BODIBA had been active in increasing awareness of the community about breast cancer, cervical cancer and giving back to the community in a form of cleaning up campaigns.

The District Health Management Team head, Dr Nahanson Kombe said the objectives of the sixth year anniversary was to reiterate government’s commitment in the involvement of traditional healers or practitioners as critical component of the primary healthcare discipline.

He also said the other reason was to emphasise the importance of the collaboration or linkage between traditional medicine practice and institutionalised care in line with WHO strategy and also to encourage the unregistered traditional practitioners to regularise their practice and operation within the framework of the law. Ends