‘Healers’ understandings of indigenous names for HIV/AIDS in Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Despite many years of HIV/AIDS education programming in Zimbabwe, there are still conflicting understandings of the disease, its genesis and its effects on the body. This is particularly true of traditional healers who, for better or worse, play a significant role in the education, care and treatment of people affected with the disease in Zimbabwe. Evidence from a sample of 50 urban-based healers illustrates the need for more thorough understandings of healers’ explanatory frameworks as well as more integrative approaches to developing health promotion and education interventions targeting healers. Based on qualitative data, this article explores local understandings of HIV/AIDS, particularly as embodied in indigenous names for the disease.

Keywords:

• traditional healers
• HIV/AIDS
• Zimbabwe
• indigenous names
• STIs