Reimagining Health Pluralism: The Role of Traditional Healers in Addressing the HIV and TB Syndemic in South Africa

HDRI is excited to announce the release of our latest paper: "Reimagining Health Pluralism: The Role of Traditional Healers in Addressing the HIV and TB Syndemic in South Africa". Authored by Sithole kaMiya Nkosana and edited by Laura Coburn, this crucial study explores the necessity of integrating Indigenous knowledge into formal health structures.  

As Southern Africa continues to battle the interlinked epidemics of HIV and TB, this paper argues that relying solely on biomedical interventions is not enough to achieve health equity.  

Key Points from the Research:

• Widespread Reliance: Over 70% of South Africans consult Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs), making them a central and trusted part of the healthcare ecosystem.  

• Historical Marginalization: Colonial and apartheid-era legacies continue to delegitimize and exclude THPs from the formal biomedical health system.  

• Policy Blind Spots: South Africa's proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme largely overlooks THPs, a hospital-centric approach that risks reproducing deep structural inequalities.  

• Proven Success: Collaborative dual-referral models in KwaZulu-Natal prove that integrating THPs significantly improves HIV/TB case finding, treatment adherence, and stigma reduction.  

  
  

Discover why true universal health coverage requires decolonizing the health system and embracing medical pluralism as a matter of structural justice.  

Read the full paper below: