Traditional healers and the potential for collaboration with the national tuberculosis programme in Vanuatu: results from a mixed methods study

Table 3 Reported practice of treatment of tuberculosis by traditional healers in Vanuatu

Description of practice^§	Number	Percentage
Treatment of TB^# (n = 19)
Kastom medicine*	4	21
Leaf medicine^	6	32
Massage	2	11
Water	1	5
Don’t treat	2	11
Send to hospital	2	11
Other treatment	2	11
Treatment of strong wet cough^# (n = 19)
Kastom medicine	4	21
Leaf medicine	6	32
Massage	1	5
Water	2	11
Don’t treat	4	21
Send to hospital	1	5
Other treatment	1	5
Referral practices (n = 16)
Refer patients for wet cough	12	75
Refer patients to health clinic	11	69
Work practices
Work with health clinic (n = 15)	9	60
Willingness to work with NTP (n = 18)	18	100
Conditions for working with NTP (n = 7)^‡
No conditions required	2	29
Money	2	29
Token of appreciation	2	29
House	1	14

^§n = number of valid responses. All percentages were calculated as a proportion of the number of valid responses, which are indicated in brackets.
^#The healers were asked to provide the single most important response to these questions.
*Kastom medicine: Kastom is the word that people in Vanuatu use to characterise their own knowledge and practice in distinction to everything they identify as having come from outside their place. Kastom medicine is used to denote traditional medical practice in Vanuatu.
^Leaf medicine: Traditional medicine used by traditional healers (klevas) in Vanuatu, comprising various leaves and other ingredients, which are ingested, chewed, rubbed or placed on the body.
^‡These percentages do not add up to 100 due to rounding and the small numerator and denominator.

ISSN: 1471-2458