Abstract
Background Traditional Healers (THs) hold significant roles in many developing countries, often sought for ailments like tuberculosis (TB). However, their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding TB, particularly in Ethiopia’s pastoralist areas, remains unexamined. This study evaluates THs’ KAP on TB and their perceptions to collaborate with conventional health systems on TB control.
Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted among THs in Kereyu, Ethiopia from September 2014 to January 2015. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, 268 THs were interviewed. Health Extension workers helped identify the THs.
Results Of the 268 participants, 80.6% were male. 97.4% were aware of TB (locally “dukubba soombaa”), with 80.2% associating its cause to proximity with a TB patient. Coughing for over two weeks was identified as a primary TB symptom by 87.35%. However, 66.4% displayed limited biomedical knowledge on TB. A notable 38.4% associated TB with sadness and hopelessness, while 47.8% utilized plant-based remedies for treatment. Impressively, 86.2% expressed willingness to collaborate with conventional health services for TB control.
Conclusion The THs had limited biomedical knowledge and some misconceptions about TB. Despite providing traditional medicine to treat TB, their readiness to collaborate with established health systems is promising. Thus, Ethiopian TB control initiatives should consider integrating THs via targeted training and health education interventions.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Funding Statement
This was a PhD project and was supported by the single student support program at the University of Oslo.
Author Declarations
I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.
Yes
The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:
1.The Norwegian Social Science Data Service (NSD) and 2. Ethical Review Committee of Jimma University, Jimma Ethiopia and 3. The Oromia Regional Health Office Ethical Review Committee, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia approved this study.
I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.
Yes
I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).
Yes
I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.
Yes
Data Availability
All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript.
Lists of abbreviations
- DOTS
- Directly observed treatment short course
- FGD
- Focus group discussion
- FMoH
- Federal Minster of Health
- HCP
- Healthcare providers
- HEWs
- Health Extension Workers
- HEP
- Health extension program
- HIV
- Human immunodeficiency virus
- HIV/AIDS
- Human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- TB
- Tuberculosis
- THs
- Traditional healers
- TM
- Traditional Medicine
- NSD
- The Norwegian Social Science Data Service
- SPSS
- Statistical Software for Social Science
- WHO
- World Health Organization