There are studies in the UK, regarding health service provision for ethnic minority groups, which specifically mention traditional healers as being more effective, in some cases, than mainstream medicine. Also, that if there’s a strong psychological element involved which is culturally-specific, this may in part account for the efficacy.

Here’s an article on Trevor Majoro, http://www.vuvuzelaonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=267&Itemid=51

in which he says “the psychological and spiritual importance of traditional healers is something that is essential in dealing with the issue of HIV/Aids” although he is also very clear that traditional healing is not meant to *replace* western medicine where the latter is more effective (as in, the use of drugs to combat HIV/AIDS).

One comment he made was that if he gave penicillin to someone who was allergic, and the person died, that would undoubtedly be regarded as witchcraft in the world of traditional medicine. Western medicine is more polite, and merely calls it negligence.

(And that works the other way around too; if you hex someone and they die, western medicine calls it psychology 🙂

From a netfriend