AFRO-NETS> Traditional Practitioners in Africa - Call for Assistance

Traditional Practitioners in Africa - Call for Assistance
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Assistance needed to join Traditional and Modern Health Practitioners
together

The AIDS Program of the National Council of International Health (NCIH) is
currently compiling a directory on traditional practitioners in Africa for
a workshop, "Building alliances in the fight against AIDS: Traditional and
modern health practitioners in Africa" being held in Abidjan, December
1997, which will detail collaborative works between traditional and modern
health practitioners in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment
and research in sub-Saharan Africa.

The workshop will facilitate development of more effective collaborative
strategies for HIV prevention, treatment and care between African
traditional health practitioners and African modern medical practitioners.
The proposed workshop is not a stand-alone event. It is a second-tier forum
following the 1996 NCIH annual workshop held in Washington, D.C., where
many of the same issues were explored by traditional healers and modern
medical practitioners. As well, the proposed workshop is to be held as a
satellite event of the bi-annual Conference on AIDS in Africa, which will
allow for an expanded audience of African health professionals to
participate.

In order to engage both activities, we would greatly appreciate your help
by answering the attached questions. Your input will be greatly valuable in
creating a stimulating conference and useful directory. Please return
either by e-mail to:

ncihaids@ncihaids.org

or by Fax: +1-202-833-0075

If you are a traditional healing organization, feel free to send us
information about your organization at:

NCIH HIV/AIDS Program
1701 K Street, N.W,
Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20006
USA

Please forward this e-mail to any other parties you think would be able to
contribute to this effort.

Since 1989, the National Council for International Health AIDS Program has
been developing and supporting an HIV/AIDS network composed of private
voluntary organizations and other nongovernmental organizations in their
effort to meet the global challenge of HIV/AIDS. Coalition building
through participation in working groups and task forces addressing HIV/AIDS
as well as organizing and facilitating workshops and forums on global AIDS
issues have been our mandates.

Again, your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Ron MacInnis
AIDS Program Officer

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1. Have you ever worked with traditional practitioners in Africa on AIDS
   prevention/treatment activities? If so, please describe projects or
   activities giving title, year, funding source of project. If you are a
   traditional healer, please describe your organization and projects
   carried out.

2. Do you plan to fund or collaborate further with traditional
   practitioners in future AIDS prevention/treatment projects?

3. Do you have a list of other traditional practitioners or organizations
   or consultants who are working with traditional practitioners in Africa
   that we may contact?

4. Do you have any suggestions for the content of the conference discussion
   or other ways to facilitate dialogue among traditional practitioners and
   those who work with them?

5. If you attended last year's conference, do you have any input on how it
   could be improved and aspects you appreciated?

6. Do you plan to be in Abidjan during the December AIDS Conference and if
   so, would you be interested in attending a forum on traditional healing
   in Africa?

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NCIH HIV/AIDS Program
mailto:ncihaids@ncihaids.org

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