title: Traditional healers participate in tuberculosis control in The Gambia.
abstract: METHODS
  Twenty-three Gambian villages.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of involving traditional healers in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in The Gambia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight traditional healers were educated in the recognition of signs and symptoms of tuberculosis and indications for referral. They administered medications to confirmed cases, and were revisited after 1 year to assess knowledge retention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 6 months, the traditional healers referred 66 suspects, from whom eight cases were diagnosed. All were successfully treated. Twenty-three of 24 traditional healers re-interviewed retained appropriate knowledge; 16 continued to refer suspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traditional healers can play a positive role in tuberculosis control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tuberculosis, Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, Western Division, The Gambia.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Bah
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manneh
authors.forename: K P W J
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: McAdam
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lienhardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*