ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate collaboration between traditional healers (TH) and registered nurses (RN) in the care of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the health district N'Gourma Fada, Burkina Faso. A survey was conducted among 26 RN, 33 TH working in the health district and 96 PLHIV under treatment at the Fada N'Gourma Regional Hospital. Survey data showed that only 9.1% had sound knowledge about HIV/AIDS and 18.2% about prevention methods. Conversely 84.8% had a good knowledge about clinical manifestations. Among TH, 84.8% claimed to refer patients to health facilities that provided no support for HIV/AIDS, 51.1% called for establishment of a framework of cooperation and 21.2% asked for reciprocity. Among nurses, 85.2% did not consider TH as part of the health community fighting against HIV/AIDS. Proposals focused on association of TH, frameworks of cooperation, and coordination of TH activities in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Medicine, African Traditional , Role , Attitude of Health Personnel , Burkina Faso/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Humans , NursesSubject(s)
Medicine, African Traditional , Rural Health Services , Humans , Interprofessional Relations , SenegalABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of a local solution based on "pain de singe", fruit of baobab (Adansonia digitata), and the WHO standard solution in the treatment of children with acute diarrhea and resulting mild to moderate dehydration. METHODOLOGY: A prospective clinical trial comparing the local solution to the standard WHO solution was conducted; in children of 6 months or older (mean age = 16.6 +/- 8.8 months), 79 received the WHO solution and 82 the local solution, and were followed for a period ranging from 4 to 48 hours. Evolution of diarrhea and weight gain were evaluated as variables of interest. RESULTS: WHO solution was found to be superior, but not statistically significant in term of duration of diarrhea and weight gain. DISCUSSION: The pain de singe based solution presents additional advantages: nutritional, economic and cultural; we recommend it to promote use of TRO at home.