African Creative Writing Research (Humanities) | 11 December 2012
Impact Assessment of Traditional Herbal Remedies on HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence Among Rural Women in Zimbabwe
N, y, a, b, a, d, z, a, C, h, i, p, e, m, v, u, ,, C, h, i, t, u, w, o, M, u, t, o, m, b, o, d, z, i
Abstract
HIV/AIDS is a significant public health issue in rural Zimbabwe, where traditional herbal remedies are commonly used alongside conventional medical treatments. A mixed-methods approach including surveys, interviews, and focus groups was employed to gather data from a sample of 150 rural women in Zimbabwe's rural areas. Traditional herbal remedies were reported by 72% of participants as an integral part of their HIV/AIDS treatment regimen. However, only 45% adhered strictly to both traditional and conventional treatments simultaneously. The integration of traditional practices into formal healthcare systems could improve adherence if supported with evidence-based guidelines. Healthcare providers should incorporate knowledge about traditional remedies into their care plans and encourage patients to discuss complementary therapies with them. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.