Homsy J, King RL, Tenywa J, Balaba D; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).
Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. B11408.
THETA, Kampala, Uganda
Issue In sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of the population continues to consult traditional healers (THs) and to use herbal treatments for health care, including HIV/AIDS, yet African traditional medicine (ATRAM) still lacks recognition and credibility among policy makers and the medical establishment. Description The Eastern and Southern Regional Task Force on TM and AIDS was created at the outset of a Regional Consultation on TM and AIDS convened in 2000 in, Uganda with the support of UNAIDS. In 2001, the Task Force proposed to build a regional initiative involving users, practitioners, implementers, policy makers and scholars to establish minimum standards of practice of ATRAM with regards to AIDS. The broad aim of this initiative is to support collaborative initiatives involving conventional and traditional healers regionally in HIV prevention and care. The Task Force Secretariat visited potential partners in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi and identified six themes that were discussed at a regional meeting held in Kampala in May 2003, namely: Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicine Processing, packaging, preservation and labeling of TM Involvement of THs in HIV prevention and care activities Characteristics and ethical standards of the practice of spiritual healing Methods to document and disseminate indigenous knowledge on health Protection of IKH and intellectual property rights related to TM Lessons learned Bringing together THs, biomedical practitioners and scientists at the Regional Meeting dispelled myths, fostered new collaborations, and sparked innovative ideas for higher quality, complementary approaches to AIDS prevention and care. Minimum standards of practice and research were agreed upon with an emphasis on feasibility and acceptability. These standards will be published and circulated in the region. Recommendations Recommended standards should serve as a regional charter to raise the quality and credibility of ATRAM.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Africa South of the Sahara
- Africa, Southern
- Delivery of Health Care
- Evaluation Studies
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health
- Health Planning
- Health Services
- Kenya
- Malawi
- Medicine, African Traditional
- Medicine, Traditional
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- United States
- Zambia
- education
- organization & administration
- therapy
Other ID:
UI: 102276680
From Meeting Abstracts