By 2025: Why Traditional Healers Must Register to Practice – Impact on Herbalism and Ethnomedicine

By 2025: Why Traditional Healers Must Register to Practice – Impact on Herbalism and Ethnomedicine

November 11, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor Health

New Regulations for Traditional Healers in South Africa

Registration and Alignment with Formal Healthcare Standards

Starting in 2025, new regulations will require traditional healers in South Africa to register with the Interim Traditional Health Practitioners Council. This registration is aimed at aligning their practices with formal healthcare standards, similar to those set by the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the South African Nursing Council.

Training and Practice Standards

Traditional healers will need to meet specific training requirements:

  • Herbalists and traditional healers must be at least 18 years old and have 12 months of training.
  • Traditional birth attendants must be 25 or older and have one year of training.
  • Traditional surgeons must be 25 or older and have two years of training.

Registration Fees

Healers will have to pay annual registration fees:

  • R1,000 for the first year and R500 thereafter for practicing healers.
  • R200 for the first year and R100 thereafter for student healers.
  • R5,000 for the first year and R1,500 thereafter for tutors.

Integration with Modern Healthcare

The goal is to integrate traditional healers into the formal healthcare system, particularly at the primary care level. This integration is in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) vision of using indigenous knowledge to achieve universal health coverage. It is expected to improve patient outcomes, especially in the fight against major diseases like HIV.

Benefits and Challenges

  • Improved HIV Testing: Traditional healers are being trained to offer HIV testing and counseling, helping to achieve the 95-95-95 goals set by the global strategy to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
  • Trust and Cooperation: Studies show that trust between traditional healers and medical professionals is crucial for effective cooperation. Research in rural Uganda and South Africa indicates that when traditional healers are involved, more people are willing to get tested for HIV.

Concerns

  • Eurocentric Dominance: There are concerns that the new regulations might impose Eurocentric methods on traditional practices.
  • Affordability of Fees: The Traditional Healers Organisation (THO) has expressed concerns that the registration fees will be unaffordable for many healers.

Public Comment and Implementation

The public comment period for the draft regulations has closed, and the council is now in the process of finalizing and implementing these rules. The health department will work with local chiefs and traditional healers to ensure the smooth implementation of these regulations.