Categories of Traditional health practitioners in South Africa

The traditional South African healer culturally still plays an important role in 70 percent of patient's in South Africa especially through the use of  Traditional Surgeons.

Traditional Healers Explained

Men and women take up the Traditional Healers profession after a long training period. The Traditional Healer may act as a therapist for issues of health, luck, love, dreams, sexual problems, or business ventures.

Some of these Traditional Healers inherit, or are taught the knowledge possessed by their family members. They all carry on their persons charms of numerous kinds to have power over the demons of disease. Some Traditional Healers use good magic as a cure because they believe that illnesses including psychological issues have supernatural origins.

South Africa's Traditional Health Practitioners Act, 2007 established accredited Traditional Healing institutions, certifies Traditional Healers. A true healer cannot take part in any action that can harm or negatively influence another person and believes God has the ultimate power, it is a spiritual calling. 

Traditional healing is linked to wider belief systems and remains integral to the lives of most Africans. People consult Traditional Healers whether or not they can afford medical services.

Definition of Traditional Health Practices.

of Traditional health practice means the performance of a function, activity, process or service based on a traditional philosophy that includes the utilization of traditional medicine or traditional practice by the maintenance or restoration of physical or mental health or function, the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of a physical or mental illness, the rehabilitation of a person to enable that person to resume normal functioning within the family or community, the physical or mental preparation of an individual for puberty, adulthood, pregnancy, childbirth and death.

Categories of Traditional health practitioners in South Africa.

Traditional healing medicine - an object or substance used in traditional health practice for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of a physical or mental illness or any medicinal or therapeutic purpose, including the maintenance or restoration of physical or mental health or well-being in human beings. 

Subcategories of Traditional Medicine are:

Igqira elokuqubula—Massage therapist Traditional Healer

Igqira elokuqapula—Traditional Healer who vaccinates

Traditional healing philosophy- indigenous African techniques, principles, theories, ideologies, beliefs, opinions and customs and uses of traditional medicines communicated from ancestors to descendants or from generations to generations, with or without written documentation, whether supported by science or not, and which are generally used in traditional health practice.

Subcategories of Traditional philosophy are:

Igqira elemiciza—Traditional healer of herbs.

Isanuse—Traditional Healer Diviner of secrets.

Igqira elemishologu—Spiritual Traditional Healer

Igqira eliligogo—Traditional Healer who can see into the future

Igqira elamatambo—Traditional Healer who uses bones

Igqira elilicamagu—Traditional Healer faith healer

Traditional healing surgeon- healthcare practitioner at registered initiation schools who performs the circumcisions and other cultural practices. 

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