An overwhelming majority of traditional health practitioners say they are not keen towards the coronavirus vaccine, AstraZeneca after the department of Health has identified them as frontline workers.
According to the Executive member of #VukaMngoma organisation, Doctor Oscar Esbie-Ngcuka the Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) from various organisations in South Africa have expressed their disinterest in taking the covid19 vaccine for various reasons including the fact that the National Department of Health has never shown any interest to involve the THPs in the research and development towards the corona virus vaccine.
Dr Esbie-Ngcuka who has a large following and is highly recognised in the traditional health practitioners sector in South Africa says he is perplexed by the sudden interest from the health department on the THPs as frontline workers. Esbie-Ngcuka was responding to the recent announcement by the department of health in Mpumalanga for registration of traditional health practitioners on their database to be recognised as frontline workers.
“The department of health has not consulted with THPs sector towards the research of this vaccine and how the sector can contribute towards its development. They have deprived the South Africa community’s choice towards health products as they are presenting them with only one option which is the western medicine”, said Esbie- Ngcuka.
In January the Minister of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande announced that the department of Science and Innovation has invested R68 766 million which was reprioritised from 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 budget allocation towards the covid19 research and development, and according to Esbie-Ngcuka that should have included collaboration with the THPs Sector to bring a broader research into the vaccine.
“By now we should be knowing how effective the traditional health medicine research for the vaccine is, had they given it a chance”, he added.
Another member of the Traditional Health Practitioners Organisation and a member of the Abelaphi be Ndabuko Dr. Sibusiso Nkosi says the reason government does not have a solid relationship with the THPs Sector is because government only requests their contribution when they have failed from western medicine.
“For example last year before the start of the lockdown Dr Zweli Mkhize [Minister of Health] had a conference meeting with most of the THPs organisations representatives and agreed to back to us however he never returned to us. We wanted to be recognised and that we can also try to cure the flu… The department takes it like traditional healers are not educated like the doctors who obtained qualifications from universities but in fact we are educated”, added Nkosi. “They sidelined us at the beginning and now they are pretending care for us when they also realise the vaccine is less effective”, he added.
Besides the majority of THPs’ disregard for the vaccine, both Nkosi and Esbie-Ngcuka expressed concern for the other THPs who are going to take the vaccine because of desperation and ignorance: “I have to say it is a dangerous and deadly decision for one to consume something they do not know how it was composed”, said Esbie-Ngcuka.
