| Abstract: | Traditional and Modern Health Practitioners Together Against AIDS (THETA) is an organization that combines the approaches of traditional healers, who are culturally important to the populations that they serve, with that of modern doctors. The group was founded by members of Doctors Without Borders, and The AIDS Support Organization of Uganda. THETA has achieved an environment of mutual respect between these health care providers, and has conducted clinical evaluations to compare the outcomes of patients treated with traditional herbal remedies with the outcomes of patients using biomedical drugs. The phase one and two testing found comparable results between these two types of therapy. A 2-year project also supplemented the traditional methods of these healers with AIDS patient education and counseling skills. The follow-up of this project showed that the trained healers increased the focus of their educational campaigns to the community at large and welcomed affiliations with doctors and hospitals. THETA's long-term goals are to continue promoting acceptance of traditional medicine, fostering the partnership and flow of information between practitioners, investigating and assessing the efficacy of herbal treatments, and providing community support. |
