Publication: Traditional Medicine and AIDS
Loading...
Date
2000-11
ISSN
Published
2000-11
Editor(s)
Abstract
The note looks at the work of a regional task force in East, and Southern Africa, established on April 2000 to coordinate activities related to the widespread use of traditional medicine, by people with HIV/AIDS in the region, and on the role of traditional healers in AIDS prevention. The high costs, and scarcity of many essential drugs, including antiretroviral drugs in Africa, means that most people affected by the epidemic, use traditional herbal treatments. At the same time, various agencies, and nongovernmental organizations were leading the development of partnerships between biomedical, and traditional health sectors. Clinical data on herbal treatments effective against herpes, and HIV-associated chronic diseases have been cited, as was preliminary data on herbal medicine that seems to increase CD4-cell counts, conducive to improvements in HIV-related illnesses. However, mutual misunderstanding between modern, and traditional practitioners, and weak organization of healers, contribute to the marginal status of traditional medicine. On reviewing efforts, the Global Initiative For Traditional Systems (GIFTS) of Health accepted the responsibility to lay the foundation for a network of researchers, to build a research program to identify, assess, and develop safe local treatments against HIV/AIDS.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Bodeker, Gerard; Kabatesi, Donna; King, Rachel; Homsy, Jacques. 2000. Traditional Medicine and AIDS. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Notes; No. 26. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10812 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication The Contribution of Traditional Herbal Medicine Practitioners to Kenyan Health Care Delivery : Results from Community Health-seeking Behavior Vignettes and a Traditional Herbal Medicine Practitioner Survey(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-09)This study examines the role that Traditional Herbal Medicine Practitioners (THMPs) play in Kenya in the context of its human resources for health crisis. Two surveys were carried out to obtain evidence. The first documented the choices and perceptions of households in 36 communities on seeking medical assistance for eight common illnesses. The second survey asked 258 THMPs in five provinces to identify their knowledge sources, training, common illnesses treated, forms of payment, challenges, and concerns. Community-derived data show that households make reasonable decisions when faced with difficult circumstances: they prefer hospitals when these are affordable and seek care at clinics and health centers when hospitals are too far away. There is significant self-care and use of pharmacies, although THMPs are preferred for worms and lower respiratory problems. In general, THMPs provide an important though diminishing role in the provision of health care; they are not sought out in situations when inadequate care is dangerous, specifically infant diarrhoea and potential TB. Whilst Human Resources for Health (HRH) policies are urgently required to strengthen the conventional health workforce and increase their accessibility for the poor, policies should not ignore the findings from this study: many of the rural poor currently receive services from a traditional health workforce not linked to, or regulated by, the national government. This paper argues that formal recognition of their role by the government and by the conventional medical associations, and a targeted strategy to strengthen and build on the positive qualities evident in many traditional medicine practices may be beneficial to safeguarding the well-being of the poor.Publication Investing in Communities Achieves Results : Findings from an Evaluation of Community Responses to HIV and AIDS(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2013-01)The overview summarizes the evaluation of community responses (15 studies, including 11 evaluations carried out in 8 countries). It presents the evaluation questions, the methodology, the key results achieved by community responses along the continuum of prevention, treatment, care and support, and the resulting policy and programmatic implications. Before the scale-up of the international response to the AIDS pandemic, community responses in developing countries played a crucial role in providing services and care for those affected. This study is the first comprehensive, mixed-method evaluation of the impact of that response. The evaluation finds that community response can be effective at increasing knowledge of HIV, promoting social empowerment, increasing access to and use of HIV services, and even decreasing HIV incidence, all through the effective mobilization of limited resources. By effectively engaging with this powerful community structure, future HIV and AIDS programs can ensure that communities continue to contribute to the global response to HIV and AIDS.Publication The Potential Demand for an HIV/AIDS Vaccine in Brazil(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2002-12)This study assesses the potential demand by the public sector for a preventive HIV/AIDS vaccine in Brazil and the costs of alternative strategies for a vaccination program. Brazil has a mature AIDS epidemic: the percent of the population living with HIV or AIDS (about 0.6 percent of adults) is not as high as in other severely affected developing countries, but infection rates in specific risk groups in the population are very high and HIV has spread beyond these groups into the general population of low-risk individuals. Preventive HIV/AIDS vaccines are still in the testing stage. The characteristics of the first vaccines developed, in terms of their efficacy, duration of effectiveness, ease of administration, and price, are still unknown. But the potential benefits of such a vaccine in Brazil would be high. The study reviews the cost and impact of HIV/AIDS in Brazil, in terms of disease and economic burden, as a proxy for the benefits of an HIV/AIDS vaccine. The epidemiology of AIDS and Brazil's experience with immunization coverage with other vaccines are used to assess the number of vaccines, delivery strategies, and possible costs of an HIV/AIDS immunization program in Brazil, assuming the availability of a 100 percent effective AIDS vaccine that lasts a lifetime under different pricing and dosing assumptions. A low-cost, highly effective vaccine would likely be affordable to an upper-middle-income country like Brazil and yield large benefits from a policy of universal, publicly subsidized immunization. But if prices are higher and the impact less favorable, the costs and effects would have to be compared with other AIDS prevention programs or other health interventions. Both political and economic considerations will likely figure into public policy on HIV/AIDS vaccination, when such a vaccine is developed.Publication HIV/AIDS: Traditional Healers, Community Self-assessment, and Empowerment(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2001-10)Most African countries have ratified the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, which states the rights to health, education, and promoting, safeguarding, and reinforcing mutual respect and tolerance. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, some 17.2 million have died of HIV/AIDS. The focus here is, therefore, on how traditional healers and indigenous knowledge can empower communities to deal with the social consequences of the pandemic, and, at the same time, be able to ensure that government resources are actually being used to their benefit. This Notes suggests a mini epidemiological study be undertaken by community member and for the community. The process of community-managed research could be facilitated by traditional healers, local NGOs to balance any attempt by local elites to dominate the process.Publication The New HIV/AIDS Program in Peru : The Role of Prioritizing and Budgeting for Results(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-01)This study aims to evaluate and develop recommendations on how the HIV/AIDS program in Peru can achieve better Value for Money. In Peru, the HIV epidemic concentrates mostly among men who have sex with men (MSM), with AIDS being the first cause of death for men ages 30-49 in 2010 and the second cause of death for women aged 25-34 (BOD, 2013). UNAIDS (2013) estimates there were 76,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) in 2012, and this study estimates 67,000 PLWA in 2013. The Ministry of Health reports that 27,502 PLWA currently receive ART, a 43-48 percent coverage of eligible people, and 66 percent coverage of all diagnosed eligible individuals (WHO, 2013 guidelines). In 2011, there was a transition from international to domestic public funding, which increased from US$17.7 million in 2005-10 to US$57.8 million in 2011-13. The main achievements of the Peru HIV/AIDS program to date include: (i) collaboration with NGOs to provide ART; (ii) free provision of ART; (iii) educating poor women on mother to child HIV transmission; and (iv) access to reduced ARV prices through the PAHO Drug Fund. Major challenges include: (i) limited testing and laboratory capacity in the provinces; (ii) less than half of the budget is allocated to high-risk groups; (iii) wage bill issued by other programs and; (iv) limited number of community health workers (CHWs) for IEC.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Guide to the Debt Management Performance Assessment Tool(Washington, DC, 2008-02-05)The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and supplemental information to assist with country assessments of debt management performance, using the Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) tool. The DeMPA is a methodology used for assessing public debt management performance through a comprehensive set of 15 performance indicators spanning the full range of government Debt Management (DeM) functions. It is based on the principles set out in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank guidelines for public debt management, initially published in 2001 and updated in 2003. It is modeled after the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) framework for performance measurement of public financial management. The DeMPA has been designed to be a user-friendly tool to undertake an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in government DeM practices. This guide provides additional background and supporting information so that a no specialist in the area of debt management may undertake a country assessment effectively. The guide can be used by assessors in preparing for and undertaking an assessment. It is particularly useful for understanding the rationale for the inclusion of the indicators, the scoring methodology, and the list of supporting documents or evidence required, and the questions that could be asked for the assessment.Publication Financing Firm Growth(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-13)Well-functioning capital markets can foster economic growth and allocate resources efficiently. Firms can tap into a broader funding base by issuing debt and equity in capital markets, often at cheaper rates and longer tenors than through other sources of external finance, such as banks. However, capital markets in low- and middle-income countries have lagged those in high-income countries. Accordingly, the firms in those countries have more often relied on bank financing or retained earnings to fund investment and expansion, and they have experienced greater financial constraints than their counterparts in high-income countries. Financing Firm Growth: The Role of Capital Markets in Low- and Middle-Income Countries shows that the gap in capital market financing between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries has narrowed, with resulting benefits for both the firms accessing those markets and for the countries in which they operate. The analysis reveals greater participation by firms from low- and middle-income countries in capital markets since the 2000s. Most of these firms are new participants in capital markets, and they tend to be smaller, younger, and more productive than those already participating. Firms are deploying capital raised in markets to become more productive—investing in physical assets, hiring more workers, and expanding operations, spurring growth both at the firm level and within their economies. To reach these findings, the analysis used a novel database of the universe of bond and equity issuances from companies between 1990 and 2022. The insights leverage data from nearly 80,000 firms worldwide, focusing on how 20,000 firms across 106 low- and middle-income countries access and use capital market financing. --- “Financing Firm Growth is a groundbreaking exploration that delves into the vital role that capital markets play in driving business expansion in low- and middle-income countries. Backed by data from 80,000 firms across 147 economies, the authors explore the factors underlying capital market growth and its benefits for economies and firms at all levels of development. This book is a must-read for investors, policy makers, and economists shaping the future of global finance.” — Laura Alfaro, Warren Alpert Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business SchoolPublication Mexico Poverty and Equity Assessment(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-02-20)This Mexico Poverty and Equity Assessment reviews the evidence about poverty and equity in Mexico over the last two decades, compares it to comparable international experience, and identifies a set of critical areas of policy intervention to answer the opening question. The report aims at contributing to an open conversation in Mexico about how to achieve this essential policy objective. This report postulates three main policy areas needed for poverty eradication in Mexico: inclusive growth, efficient social policy, and infrastructure to confront vulnerability. The report includes four sections, the first three of which collect evidence about poverty, social deprivations, and vulnerability and how the evolution of these three correlates to patterns of economic growth, social protection policy and territorial development. The fourth section provides some quantitative benchmarks of what it would take to eradicate extreme poverty in Mexico. Poverty in Mexico is defined not only in monetary terms, but also in a multidimensional manner that includes social deprivations. These are social deprivations that often define formal-vs-informal employment, so policy changes that close these carencias, as they are called in Mexico, will also reduce the informality gap. This report documents the evolution of poverty, social deprivations, and vulnerability to poverty. It explains the main forces that have driven this evolution and advises that many of these forces may not operate the same in the future as they did in the past. It provides the basis to argue that short to medium term extreme poverty eradication requires newer policy actions in terms of inclusive growth, more efficient social policy, and investments in physical and social infrastructure to reduce vulnerability. The report indicates that short to medium term eradication to extreme poverty is a major, but within reach, development challenge for Mexico.Publication The Mexican Social Protection System in Health(World Bank, Washington DC, 2013-01)With a population of 113 million and a per-capita Gross Domestic Product, or GDP of US$10,064 (current U.S. dollars), Mexico is one of the largest and highest-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The country has benefited from sustained economic growth during the last decade, which was temporarily interrupted by the financial and economic crisis. Real GDP is projected to grow 3.8 percent and 3.6 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively (International Monetary Fund, or IMF 2012). Despite this growth, poverty in the country remains high; with half of the population living below the national poverty line. The country is also highly heterogeneous, with large socioeconomic differences across states and across urban and rural areas. In 2010, while the extreme poverty ratio in the Federal District and the states of Colima and Nuevo Leon was below 3 percent, in Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca it was 25 percent or higher. These large regional differences are also found in other indicators of well-being, such as years of schooling, housing conditions, and access to social services. This case study assesses key features and achievements of the Social Protection System in Health (Sistema de Proteccion Social en Salud) in Mexico, and particularly of its main pillar, Popular Health Insurance (Seguro Popular, PHI). It analyzes the contribution of this policy to the establishment and implementation of universal health coverage in Mexico. In 2003, with the reform of the General Health Law, the PHI was institutionalized as a subsidized health insurance scheme open to the population not covered by the social security schemes. Today, the PHI covers all of its intended affiliates, about 52 million peoplePublication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.