SynthesisArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2025
The role of traditional healers along the cancer care continuum in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.
Synthesis in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed.
- Bridging gaps in community cancer care: exploring Traditional Health Practitioners' perceptions of common adult cancer and their role in raising community awareness and early detection in Soweto, South Africa.Global health action · 2026Article
- Diagnostic delay as health system navigation: a mixed-methods study of childhood cancer in Burkina Faso.BMC cancer · 2026Article
- Improving Cancer Awareness and Knowledge in Johannesburg and iLembe Districts Through a Tailored Community-Based Educational Intervention: A Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Community and health workers perspectives on barriers to diabetes and hypertension screening in North Eastern India: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Pathways to lung cancer diagnosis and treatment among patients in Ethiopia: A qualitative study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Gatekeepers or barriers? Exploring traditional medicine practitioners' understanding of breast cancer in Ghana.PloS one · 2026Article
- Understanding factors that impact patient access and engagement with biomedical and traditional care for hip fractures in The Gambia: An ethnographic study using a social ecological model.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Breast Health Training Program for Traditional Healers: A Pathway to Early Breast Cancer Detection in Tanzania.Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Navigating sociocultural practices and traditions in HIV management: a review of African cultural barriers to achieving sustainable development goal target 3.3.Frontiers in epidemiology · 2026Review
- Decolonising forensic odontology in Sub-Saharan Africa.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2025Review
- A qualitative study of differences in palliative care in hospitals and traditional home-based care in Cameroon.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Harnessing traditional healers role in strengthening Africa's public health response: A case study of Mpox outbreak.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Traditional medicine, environmental exposures, and cultural practices in cancer risk: insights from low- and middle-income countries.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Review
- Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTraditional healers play a significant role in Sub-Saharan Africa's healthcare system, but little is known about their role across the cancer care continuum in this context. Given the prevalence of patients consulting healers, we aimed to elucidate their role and impact on cancer care delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa.
methodsFollowing the PRISMA reporting standards, all research focused on the role of traditional healers in the cancer care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa was included in this scoping review. Data sources assessed include PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, African Journals Online, African Index Medicus, and Google Scholar. Studies that lacked perspectives on the healers' role, focused solely on the actual herbal medicines, were written in non-English language, were not primary research, or the full-text was unavailable were excluded. Two reviewers performed screening and data extraction for each article, confirmed by a third reviewer.
resultsOne thousand four hundred seventy-one studies were identified, with 1437 screened and 191 full-texts reviewed. Of those, 158 were excluded, and 33 (comprising of 1564 healers) were included for final data extraction and analysis. Five studies (64 healers) showed their role in prevention, eleven (454 healers) in diagnosis, twenty-seven (1524 healers) in treatment, and two (25 healers) in palliative care in Sub-Saharan Africa. While some desired increased collaboration with the biomedical system and referred patients, others lacked trust and remained hesitant to provide referrals.
conclusionResults showed that traditional healers play an important role in cancer treatment. This provides an opportunity to leverage the skills of traditional healers to improve cancer outcomes, in a way that recognizes and respects local culture. Future research focused on improving the collaboration between traditional healers and the biomedical healthcare system may lead to strengthening the referral system and early detection and treatment of cancer. REGISTRATION: This study was registered on PROSPERO, CRD42022293055.
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