Herbalists have been cautioned to stop practices which fuel the spread of the HIV/AIDS scourge.
Nobert Kagwa the Coordinator for Bushenyi HIV/AIDS Forum said of their (herbalists/traditional healers) practices especially the use of razor blade has tended to spread HIV/AIDS from one person to another. “Some parents bring their children to you to administer (okushadaga) herbs and you end up using one tool (razor blade) on all the family members hence spreading disease to the entire family,” Kagwa said.
“It’s high time you abandon some of your traditional practices and instead encourage people who come to you to go to professional health workers, hospitals and health centres,” he warned. He said it is unfortunate some traditional healers hold on to patients and only refer them at the last minute.
Kagwa was recently speaking during a training workshop for herbalists and representatives of Village Health Teams (VHTs) at the Rukararwe Partnership workshop for rural development in Nyakabirizi Division in the Bushenyi District. The 200 herbalists were representatives from the districts of the Greater Bushenyi region, (Bushenyi, Sheema, Buhweju, Mitooma and Rubirizi.) The workshop aimed at equipping them with knowledge on HIV/AIDS, counselling, domestic violence, Food and Nutrition.
Florence Muhwezi a member of Rukararwe said, “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV/AIDS and other diseases have gone silent yet they are still claiming lives.”
Nancy Nyamweya the Bushenyi district Food and Nutrition focal person called upon the herbalists to always refer patients to health units. “We know that many patients begin with you in villages and so we need to increase our collaboration,” Nyamweya noted. “Don’t insist to remain with a patient when you are not seeing any progress/recovery,” she appealed.
The Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipality deputy town clerk Didas Muhanguzi advised the herbalists to form stronger associations to benefit from government programs like Emyooga funds among others. “It is through your associations where you can be able to lobby government to support you and aim at value addition,” he advised. Muhanguzi further advised them to document their different herbs and what they cure for the future generation to benefit. “Don’t die with such rich knowledge instead pass it on to your children,” he appealed.
Joy Murindwa the Bushenyi Herbal Medicinal Healers Association (BUMETHA) vice-chairperson appealed to the government to recognize them to be able to benefit from government programs like Emyooga funds, and the Skilling program among others.
“Herbal medicine is the skill that has enabled us to survive and educate our children but we don’t know why the government left it out,” said.