Traditional Healers and Modern Health Systems: Working Together

Why this question matters

In many countries, traditional healers are the first or only person people see, because they are nearby, trusted and speak the same language and idiom. The World Health Organization's current strategy aims to integrate safe and effective traditional, complementary and integrative medicine into health systems in ways that are evidence-based and culturally respectful. [1] This page describes what has actually been tried and studied. It does not recommend any healer or clinic.

Who is a "traditional healer"?

The term covers very different people: herbalists, bonesetters, birth attendants, spiritual and faith healers, and practitioners of named systems. Training, community standing and regulation differ widely, and in many places they are not regulated. Treat research on "traditional healers" as describing particular settings, not all healers.

What reviews found

• Mental health care, sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review of 29 studies found more than 70% of people used traditional and religious healers as a first point of care for mental health, and those who did waited longest to reach a health facility (median delay about six months). [2]
• Cancer care, sub-Saharan Africa. A scoping review of 33 studies (1,564 healers) found healers were most often involved in treatment. Some healers referred patients to clinics, while others lacked trust and hesitated to refer. [3]
• Models of collaboration. A scoping review that screened 8,404 studies found only 10 on practitioner-level collaboration (relationship building, joint training, cross-referral, coordinated meetings) and called such collaboration "few and sparse." [4]
• Mental health collaboration. A scoping review of 6 studies found education for faith healers can help reduce harmful practices and that shared models improved psychiatric symptoms compared with usual care, while saying this research is in its infancy. [5]
• HIV. In a qualitative study in rural Lesotho, joint meetings led to a collaborative model in which healers took on prevention, HIV testing and monitoring roles. [6] In rural Uganda, a trial of healer-delivered HIV testing found participants valued its accessibility and confidentiality. [7] These are community-specific findings and do not show that healers can replace treatment.

What healers say helps and hinders

A 2025 scoping review of 54 articles, from healers' perspectives on mental illness care, named government policy, intellectual property, attitude, differences in understanding disease and referral as challenges. It named healers' willingness, perceived effectiveness and WHO recognition as enablers. [8] The review called for culturally appropriate guidelines for integration and referral. [8]

Using both safely

• Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any herbs or treatments you take: the NHS advises checking with a pharmacist before taking a herbal medicine alongside other medicines. [10]
• Do not stop prescribed medicines, including for HIV, diabetes or epilepsy, because of advice from anyone. Talk with your clinician first.
• Be wary of a healer who promises a cure, discourages medical tests or asks you to stop medicine. See red flags in traditional healing practice and when traditional healing delays care.
• Ask about training and community standing: how to check a traditional practitioner and questions to ask.

When to seek urgent care

Chest pain, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, a seizure, confusion, thoughts of self-harm or a poisoning need emergency care now. In the United States call 911, or 988 for a mental health crisis; Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222.