A community survey of knowledge, perceptions, and practice with respect to epilepsy among traditional healers in the Batibo Health District, Cameroon.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the approach of traditional healers to epilepsy care, in order to develop a community-based epilepsy care program in Batibo Health District.


METHODS
With an 18-item questionnaire, interviews were carried out with 102 traditional healers randomly selected from two associations of traditional healers in the Batibo Health District.


RESULTS
Most traditional healers had heard about epilepsy (98.0%), knew someone with epilepsy (97.8%), or had witnessed a seizure (92.2%). About 40% would object to their children associating with people with epilepsy (PWE), 46.1% would object to their children marrying PWE, and 51% linked the disease to insanity. Though 61.8% of the traditional healers could not offer any treatment for epilepsy, most of them thought it was treatable (74.5%) and would readily refer a patient to the hospital (95.1%). The independent predictors of attitudes were: middle age (30-49 years), P=0.00003; female gender, P=0.007; correct knowledge of the cause(s) of epilepsy, P=0.001; and the misconceptions that epilepsy is contagious and that epilepsy is a form of insanity, P=0.003 and 0.019, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Traditional healers constituted the focus group studied so far in Cameroon that is most familiar with epilepsy. Although they still have some negative practices, the attitudes of traditional healers toward PWE in Batibo Health District are satisfactory, compared with those of the general public and students in the same community. These findings provide evidence for the first time in Cameroon suggesting that collaboration between the modern and traditional health systems with the view of bridging the epilepsy treatment gap is possible. There is a need to train traditional healers in epilepsy care in our context.
Njamnshi
Alfred K
AK
Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon. aknjamnshi@yahoo.co.uk
Bissek
Anne-Cécile Zoung-Kanyi
AC
Yepnjio
Faustin N
FN
Tabah
Earnest N
EN
Angwafor
Samuel A
SA
Kuate
Callixte T
CT
Déma
Fidèle
F
Fonsah
Julius Y
JY
Acho
Alphonse
A
Kepeden
Marie-Noelle Z-K
MN
Azinwi
Yumo H
YH
Kuwoh
Pius B
PB
Angwafor
Fru F
FF
Muna
Walinjom F T
WF
D000328:Adult; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population