Working paper : why some Swazi mothers use traditional healers to care for children with diarrhea

Respondents from selected sites throughout Swaziland included 33 mothers of children under age 5, 16 male focus groups, and 17 female focus groups. Respondents were presented with a hypothetical case of a mother whose child dies after she fails to continue at home the therapy begun at the ORT center and instead consults a traditional healer. The consensus response of 9 of the female focus groups and 6 of the male groups attributed the child"s death to diarrhea, while the most frequent response among individual mothers was to blame traditional medicine for the death. In all of the interviews, lack of trust in the use of ORT was the most frequently cited explanation for the mother"s failure to follow the nurse"s instructions. Some 70% of individual mothers, as well as 64% of focus groups affirmed a need for continuing instruction in ORT, e.g., through chiefs and rural health motivators. These responses suggest that trust is important in health-seeking behavior for Swazi mothers, and that strategies need to be devised to increase mothers" trust in health care providers and their recommendations of modern therapies like ORT. The Ministry of Health should consider expanding its health education strategy to include individuals who can encourage and support mothers" use of ORT following a clinic visit. (Author abstract, modified)