Introduction This panel session looked at the work that has been done towards valuing and validating the contributions mothers, traditional birth attendants and local healers in the field of primary health care in local communities in Mali, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Four panelists speak about the variety of local primary healthcare providers available in the local communities and the contribution that these traditional healthcare workers make. The challenge is to figure out how to harness the capacity of communities to take care of their health themselves. To do so and follow the community driven development approach, we need to really listen to what their needs are. Additional resources include Powerpoint presentations provided by each of the panelists. Click to view presentations; for panelist details and work bios, click here. The video can be viewed in its entirety or via shorter clips sorted along the main themes (blue underlined) which emerged during the session. This panel was sponsored by the Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program and the Africa Region Human Development, and chaired by Dr. Khama O. Rogo, HD Lead Specialist for the Africa Region. The session took place on July 11, 2005. Watch full video (2:03:22 min). 1. Opening remarks Reinhard Woytek (3:00 min). 2. Introduction Khama Rogo, Lead Health Specialist, World Bank (5:00 min). 3. Traditional Knowledge and Public Health Contribution of Traditional Midwives to the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Mali, Rokia Sanogo, Ph.D, Mali (18:43 min). 4. Extraordinary Balancing Acts: local health knowledge and survival strategies in rural Malawi - Dr. Hareya Fassil (31:26 min). 5. Q and A Session (15:37 min). 6. HIV/AIDS and Traditional Healers Dr. Samuel Mtulla, Tanzania (16:32 min). 7. Anticancer and Anti-HIV Drugs Derived from African and other Plants Dr Gordon Cragg, US (11:51 min). 8. Q and A Session II. (16:44 min). 9. Closing Remarks by Dr. Khama O. Rogo (5:23 min). Presentations Panel Speakers Dr. Cragg is a research scientist with the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. His major interests lie in the research of effective natural products for the treatment of cancer and AIDS. He has established collaborations between the NIH and organizations in many countries promoting drug discovery from their natural resources. Contact: craggg@mail.nih.gov. Dr. Fassil has studied African traditional health systems. She designed and conducted a field study investigating rural Malawian women's traditional health knowledge, home-based medicinal plant use and the role of these local resources in primary health care development. In her report she made strategic recommendations to the Bank-supported Malawi Social Action Fund. Contact: hfassil@sph.emory.edu. Dr. Mtullu is coordinator of TAWG. He and his colleagues work with traditional healers and communities to treat opportunistic AIDS-related diseases. TAWG has partnered with the regional hospital in Tanga to provide treatment and care to over 5,000 patients to date. The traditional medicines they use have prolonged the lives of patients by 5-10 years and enabled them to lead a productive life. Contact: tawg@kaributanga.com. Dr. Sanogo's work with traditional birth attendants (TBA) has shown that information and organization of TBA is important in the management of obstetrical emergencies. She demonstrated that TBAs were instrumental in breaking down communication barriers between women in distress and Community Health Centers, hence contributing to a reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates. Contact: aidemet@afribonemali.net. Dr. Rogo, Lead Health Specialist, Africa Region, World Bank.a Kenyan national, has a wide-ranging experience in health -- clinical, administrative, policy and academics -- gained during more than two decades of active engagement in health care provision, ranging from the community to the international level. (krogo@worldbank.org) Reinhard Woytek is the manager of the Indigenous Knowledge for Development Program and Senior Knowledge Management Officer with the Africa Region's Operational Quality and Knowledge Unit. (rwoytek@worldbank.org) For further information about this event or to request copies of the disc, contact Reinhard Woytek. |
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