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      Alternative medicines for AIDS in resource-poor settings: Insights from exploratory anthropological studies in Asia and Africa

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          Abstract

          The emergence of alternative medicines for AIDS in Asia and Africa was discussed at a satellite symposium and the parallel session on alternative and traditional treatments of the AIDSImpact meeting, held in Marseille, in July 2007. These medicines are heterogeneous, both in their presentation and in their geographic and cultural origin. The sessions focused on the role of these medications in selected resource poor settings in Africa and Asia now that access to anti-retroviral therapy is increasing. The aims of the sessions were to (1) identify the actors involved in the diffusion of these alternative medicines for HIV/AIDS, (2) explore uses and forms, and the way these medicines are given legitimacy, (3) reflect on underlying processes of globalisation and cultural differentiation, and (4) define priority questions for future research in this area. This article presents the insights generated at the meeting, illustrated with some findings from the case studies (Uganda, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, China and Indonesia) that were presented. These case studies reveal the wide range of actors who are involved in the marketing and supply of alternative medicines. Regulatory mechanisms are weak. The efficacy claims of alternative medicines often reinforce a biomedical paradigm for HIV/AIDS, and fit with a healthy living ideology promoted by AIDS care programs and support groups. The AIDSImpact session concluded that more interdisciplinary research is needed on the experience of people living with HIV/AIDS with these alternative medicines, and on the ways in which these products interact (or not) with anti-retroviral therapy at pharmacological as well as psychosocial levels.

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          Use of traditional herbal medicine by AIDS patients in Kabarole District, western Uganda.

          The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the use of traditional herbal medicine by AIDS patients in Kabarole District, western Uganda. Using systematic sampling, 137 AIDS patients were selected from outpatient departments of 3 hospitals and interviewed via questionnaire. The questions related to such areas as type and frequency of herbal medicine intake, concomitant herb-pharmaceutical drug use (including herb-antiretroviral drug cotherapy), and the perceived effectiveness of herbal medicine. Overall, 63.5% of AIDS patients had used herbal medicine after HIV diagnosis. Same-day herbal medicine and pharmaceutical drugs use was reported by 32.8% of AIDS patients. Patterns of traditional herbal medicine use were quite similar between those on antiretroviral therapy and those who received supportive therapy only. The primary conclusion is that AIDS outpatients commonly use herbal medicine for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Pharmacological interactions between antiretroviral drugs and traditional herbal medicines need to be further examined.
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            Patients and healers in the context of culture: an exploration of the bordeland between anthropology, medicine and psychiatry

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              Use of traditional medicine by HIV-infected individuals in South Africa in the era of antiretroviral therapy.

              As antiretroviral therapy (ART) becomes more available in African countries, the potential for interaction with traditional medicines becomes more important. We carried out a cross-sectional survey among individuals with moderate or advanced HIV disease attending a workplace clinic providing ART in South Africa to determine prevalence of traditional medicine use, source, recommended products and costs. Among 44 clinic attendees (100% male, median age 42 years, 30 taking ART), 37 (84%) reported ever using traditional medicines, 25 obtained from a healer or herbalist, eight from their own fields and four from a pharmacy. Fourteen of the 44 (32%) were currently using traditional medicines, most frequently African potato (9/14) and Aloe vera (3/14). Seven out of 30 persons taking ART (23%) reported currently using traditional medicines. Participants spent 4 - 27 pounds per month on traditional medicines. Traditional medicine use is common among individuals with moderate and advanced HIV disease. Concomitant use with ART has the potential for drug interactions and should be discussed routinely in ART counselling. Further work is warranted to investigate whether commonly used traditional medicines interact with ART in vivo.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                J Ethnobiol Ethnomed
                Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
                BioMed Central
                1746-4269
                2008
                10 July 2008
                : 4
                : 16
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
                [2 ]Centre de Recherche Cultures, Santé, Sociétés (CReCSS), Université Paul Cézanne d'Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, France
                [3 ]Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 145, Montpellier, France
                [4 ]UMR 7043 Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Marc Bloch, Strasbourg, France
                Article
                1746-4269-4-16
                10.1186/1746-4269-4-16
                2503967
                18616794
                6b6a8483-f3a7-49fa-a695-ec65029e8239
                Copyright © 2008 Hardon et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 22 April 2008
                : 10 July 2008
                Categories
                Research

                Health & Social care
                Health & Social care

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