Traditional Healer or Hospital? When to Go Where

This page is general health information, not a diagnosis. If you are unsure, go to the nearest health facility.

Go to a health facility now if…

A child (2 months to 5 years) has any general danger sign

WHO and UNICEF teach health workers to check every sick child for these signs. A child with any of them “has a serious problem” and most need urgent referral to hospital:

• not able to drink or breastfeed;
• vomits everything;
• has had convulsions (fits);
• is lethargic (very drowsy) or unconscious.

A pregnant woman has warning signs

• bleeding from the vagina or severe abdominal pain;
• blurred vision, sudden swelling, or a bad headache that does not go away;
• the baby moving less than usual;
• fever, shortness of breath, or clear fluid leaking from the vagina.

Since 2010, Uganda’s policy has been that births should take place in health facilities, not with traditional birth attendants.

Anyone with

• fever, especially in a child or pregnant woman: test for malaria the same day;
• difficulty breathing, chest pain, or sudden weakness of the face, arm or leg;
• a serious injury, a deep wound, a broken bone through the skin, or a limb that is cold, pale or numb;
• a snake bite, poisoning, or swallowing a chemical;
• severe diarrhoea or vomiting, or signs of dehydration;
• yellow eyes, confusion or fainting.

Never stop these treatments

Malaria

According to WHO, malaria is preventable and curable, but untreated falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours. Children under five and pregnant women are at highest risk. Get tested, take the full course of medicine, and return if not better.

HIV

There is no cure for HIV. With antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV has become a manageable chronic condition, and WHO says people on ART with no detectable virus “will not transmit HIV to their sexual partners.” Stopping ART for any “cure” allows the virus to come back. Uganda’s drug authority has arrested sellers who claimed to cure HIV. See herbal medicine and NDA.

Tuberculosis

TB is curable. Medicines must be taken daily for 4 to 6 months. WHO warns that stopping early can make the TB bacteria resistant to the antibiotics.

The same applies to medicines for diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy and mental illness.

Using both: how to do it safely

Many Ugandans see both a healer and a health worker. That can be safe if:

• you get a diagnosis from a health facility first, especially for fever, cough, weight loss or pregnancy;
• you tell both about everything you are taking;
• herbal remedies are in addition to, not instead of, prescribed medicine;
• the healer refers you to hospital when needed. A good healer will.

In a study in northern Uganda, some healers said they send patients for hospital tests when the cause is unclear, and one said: “I would prefer if the patient has gone to the hospital and a diagnosis has been made.”

Healers and health workers working together in Uganda

• THETA (Traditional and Modern Health Practitioners Together against AIDS) was set up in 1992 by Uganda’s National AIDS Control Programme, the Uganda AIDS Commission, Médecins Sans Frontières and TASO. It trained traditional healers as HIV educators and counsellors. By 1998 it had trained 125 healers in HIV prevention.
• The government laboratory NCRL works with herbalists to test remedies and has trained them in hygiene and HIV protection.
• During an Ebola outbreak, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF trained 870 traditional healers from seven districts, according to a 2023 report.
• Researchers studying spirit possession in south-western Uganda have recommended collaboration with traditional healers in mental health care.

Choosing a healer who works with hospitals

Ask a healer directly: “What do you do if my problem is serious?” A trustworthy healer will say they send you to a health facility. Use our safe healer checklist, and read the safety policy. For background, see types of traditional healers and medicinal plants.