Fatuma Issa: A Traditional healer linking TB patients with Community Health Workers (CHWs) for TB diagnosis.
Wednesday, 8 November, 2023
Wearing a red scarf, wrapped with a piece of cloth against a background of a shoulder-to-toe-long, black-spotted yellow gown, confidently smiling Fatuma is about five feet tall. She is a mother of five and resident of Wisikwantisi Street in Kondoa Town Council working as a Traditional healer.
Fatuma Issa never knew that at one time, she could be a major link between traditional medicine and conventional medicine. Hailing from a background of traditional medicine, Fatuma has inherited her mother’s turf. This all started after her mother fell sick and could not continue with the practice.
“I had to step in for her since she could not continue with her work. That was way back in 2019” she says, before adding: “I inherited the work and started working under her guidance.”
In 2021 when fate intervened in Fatuma’s life. Health care providers from the Kondoa Town Council, in collaboration with Amref Tanzania through Global Fund support, recognised the value of traditional healers in the community and sought to bridge the gap between traditional healing practices and modern healthcare. They provided Fatuma with training on tuberculosis (TB) case notification, signs and symptoms of TB, and the importance of referring her clients with TB symptoms for TB clinical evaluation and treatment through Community Health Workers (CHWs).
Most of her clients come from far-flung villages. “They come from different places even outside Kondoa Town Council. In February, this year, I had a client from Nkuhungu ward in Dodoma CC who came complaining to have chest and rib pain,” she says.
But the Client never dedicated any TB signs, however, the man returned in March 2023, seeking for more traditional treatment to continue with. As Fatuma observed him closely, she noticed the telltale signs of TB. Realising the urgency of the situation, she immediately contacted the CHW, Mr. Rashid Gora, who promptly arrived for thorough TB screening and he took a sputum sample for testing. The man’s diagnosis confirmed Fatuma’s suspicions – he had TB and needed immediate treatment.
“Since he was staying in my house, owing to my training from Amref, I quickly discovered that this was a TB case. I had to call a CHW who took his sputum sample for test,” he says.
The patient was confirmed TB case and initiated with anti-TB treatment. “After contact tracing which was done by the CHW, my father tested positive for TB. He was then initiated with anti-TB and he is progressing well,” she says. Fatuma’s dedication to TB case notification had yielded remarkable results. Since receiving her training in 2021, she had referred over 50 TB presumptive cases to CHWs, resulting in the diagnosis of three individuals with TB. Her knowledge of TB symptoms had proven invaluable in identifying patients in need of urgent medical attention and expediting their treatment through timely referrals.
“The basic knowledge of TB that I received has greatly helped. I can easily identify a patient with TB symptoms and fast-track the diagnosis and treatment through referral,” she confidently says. However, she still faces resistance from some patients who strongly believe in traditional healing. “It is very difficult to advise them to receive modern medications,” she says. Additionally, the allowance provided for linking TB presumptive cases is insufficient to meet the demands of her work. Fatuma suggests an increase in the allowance for airtime to ensure that traditional healers like herself are encouraged to continue their vital role in connecting TB patients with CHWs.
Fatuma’s story highlights the importance of involving CHWs and traditional healers in modern healthcare systems. Through her dedication and knowledge, she not only saves lives but also strengthens the bond between traditional healing practices and modern medicine in the fight against TB. With support from the Global Fund HIV/TB Grant, Amref Health Africa in Tanzania collaborates with the government and NGOs like MDH to provide Community TB services in 64 councils and 1,337 wards. The project has trained 640 traditional healers and 1,920 CHWs who conduct TB sensitisation, screening, contact tracing, and patient follow-up.
