Sangomas undergo voluntary HIV tests

THIRTY-four traditional medical practitioners were voluntarily tested for HIV during the capacity building workshop on HIV/Aids and other chronic diseases organised by the Sadc secretariat and the Ministry of Health and Child Care which ended in Gweru yesterday.

Traditional medical practitioners board member, Joyce Tumbare, said the move to get tested for HIV is meant to show that the traditional and faith healers are active players in the fight against HIV/Aids.

She said this will help demystify misconceptions that surround the operations of traditional practitioners when it comes to issues to do with the pandemic.

"We have taken this bold decision to get tested for HIV because we also want to be part of the team which is fighting against HIV/Aids. This is also meant to encourage patients who visit us to get tested."

She added: "We are willing to work with government on issues of HIV/Aids and we are now asking government to hold training workshops whereby traditional  medical practitioners can acquire counselling skills on issues to do with the chronic disease."

Tumbare said government should also move in and provide gloves to traditional healers to use during healing sessions as well as provide condoms for distribution to their patients.

The National Aids Council distributed condoms to the 60 traditional medical practitioners who attended the workshop.

Provincial National Aids Coordinator for Midlands, Mambewu Shumba, commended the practitioners for taking the initiative in getting tested for the disease.

He said the healers were opinion leaders and the move will see members of the community also wanting to get tested.

Said Shumba: "This is quite a good initiative taken by the traditional medical practitioners to take the lead in terms of HIV testing and counselling. These traditional healers interact with communities and about 80 percent of people in these communities consult them before they seek medical attention at health institutions. Their getting tested will help bring HIV new infections to zero level and the healers are acting like the true role models that they are to communities."

At the end of the workshop, Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Milton Chemhuru presented certificates of attendance to traditional medical practitioners on issues to deal with HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and nutrition.

He pledged government's commitment to working closely with the traditional and faith healers in fighting the HIV/Aids pandemic.

The workshop to capacitate traditional healers is a Sadc and government initiative that is being conducted as a pilot project in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.