SA DOCTOR TRAINS LOCAL TRADITIONAL HEALERS ON MONKEYPOX

GEGE – With a case of Monkeypox having been identified in the country, traditional healers have been empowered to identify it.

Dr Wonder Baxter, who is a clinician in neighbouring South Africa, was roped in by traditional healers to educate them on some of the illnesses. Dr Baxter works under the Department of health in the neighbouring country and further revealed that he also assisted in the delivery of babies, as well as patients with psychiatric issues. However, he said his prime job was to assess patients and determine whether there was a need for them to do any tests and then initiate treatment if necessary. Dr Baxter told traditional healers that it was very important for them to know what illness a person was suffering from, before administering treatment. He said symptoms of diseases can be similar. He gave examples of shingles, saying that sometimes, one could confuse it with monkeypox, but said the latter attacked a person all over the body.

Distinguish

During the training, Dr Baxter asked the traditional healers if they were able to distinguish between shingles and monkeypox. Some of the traditional doctors quickly said they were able to distinguish between the two diseases. The doctor shared some symptoms of the disease and also showed traditional doctors a few images of what monkeypox looks like.  He warned that monkeypox was similar in transmission to tuberculosis or COVID-19, because one could contract it by being in close proximity with someone who was infected. He said this was the reason why when one was infected, it was important for that person to be isolated, so that he could be treated without the illness affecting others.  Also, Dr Baxter said monkeypox had a vaccine and that through it, one could prevent contracting it. Dr Baxter also revealed that monkeypox can be spread by monkeys. He said one did not necessarily have to be in contact with an actually infected monkey, but that touching surfaces that had been touched by an infected monkey could spread the disease.

Likely

Dr Cleopas Sibanda, who is an Occupations Health and Social Protection Specialist, also said males who engaged in sexual intercourse with other males were more likely to contract monkeypox. He also said this was the same for sex workers, as well as people with multiple partners. Sibanda said the disease was sexually transmitted. He said if a person who was infected engaged in sexual intercourse with another, they were more likely to transmit it. However, he also added that monkeypox was not as serious as it seemed especially for people with strong immune system.

He said the disease itself was not fatal but that people died of ‘supra infections’. Sibanda said this was the reason why when treating such a person; it was usually the symptoms that were targeted. Supra infections are secondary infections. Further, he said just like it is done for of HIV/AIDS, antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have been used to counteract monkeypox as this helps to boost the immune system. He said it was the body’s immune system that could fight monkey pox.

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