A model to facilitate the Integration of Indigenous Kowledge Systems in the management of HIV & AIDS within a Primary Health Care context in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Indigenous health practices have been in existence since the dawn of civilization, and the inception of western medical practices has created a divide between these health systems. This study focused on the development of a model that could facilitate the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in managing HIV & AIDS within a primary healthcare (PHC) context. The researcher affirms Capers (1992:19) notion that indigenous and western healthcare knowledge systems will continually be in existence and will always move parallel to one another until the two systems converge to collaborate on knowledge sharing for the benefit of both consumers of health and health practitioners. The purpose of this study was to develop a model to facilitate the integration of IKS in the management of HIV & AIDS within the PHC context in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The objectives of this study were to: * Explore and describe views and perceptions of stakeholders regarding the integration of IKS in the management of HIV & AIDS, in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. * Conceptualize a framework related to current dialogue about the integration of IKS in the management of HIV & AIDS within the PHC setting. * Develop a model to facilitate the integration of IKS in the management of HIV & AIDS within the PHC context in South Africa. In this study, an explorative, descriptive and contextual qualitative design was used in order for the researcher to gather more information that would be appropriate and necessary to support the development of the model which will facilitate the integration of IKS in the management of HIV & AIDS within a PHC context in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. The population includes stakeholders (IKS practitioners, and healthcare professionals) who embody deeper concerns regarding the integrative approach to health and illness behaviour. Purposive and snowballing sampling methods were used in this study. The snowballing technique has been utilized to further identify potential IKS participants not known to the researcher. Data collected were guided by the central question, "How can we integrate IKS in the management of HIV & AIDS within the PHC context in Limpopo Province?" All participants responded to the same question and the researcher used her probing and listening skills to gather more information. Data were collected until saturation was reached and data analysis was done using Tsech's eight-step open-coding method (Creswell, 2009: 186). Themes, categories and sub-categories emerged from the data analysis and were fully discussed and became fundamental units for development of the conceptual framework as well as the model. Three themes were identified: IKS stakeholders expressed challenges experienced in dealing with marginalization and being looked down upon by their western health professional (WHPs) counterparts. IKS stakeholders reflected a need for WHPs to develop an understanding with regard to the differences in diagnosing and healing strategies of IKS. * IKS stakeholders expressed that a number of issues need to be dealt with to ensure effective integration of IKS for quality management of HIV & AIDS. In conclusion, IKS will remain the point of departure surrounding responses of individuals, families and communities to illness behaviours in any given human context of existence. A huge literature supp01is the construct that indigenous cultural practices have been in existence since time immemorial and will continue to influence health and social welfare in the global context. A great need exists to integrate the two systems, i.e., IKS and WHPs, towards a mutual understanding and respect for quality and efficacious healthcare.