Urban African Traditional Healers

The consultation between doctor and patient is the central act of medicine; it is a cross-cultural transaction between the patient’s and the doctor’s worldviews. In the South African context, the patient’s worldview is influenced by African traditional views of ill health and the African traditional healers are an important reservoir of the traditional beliefs. This book examines African traditional healers’ beliefs and understanding of some common biomedical diseases. It analyses the causes and treatment of the diseases and shows how the views of traditional healers differ/not differ with those of western doctors. This study should be of interest to medical students, educationalists in clinical medicine as well as practicing healthcare professionals