Perceptions of the Etiology and Treatment of Hypertension Among Some Traditional Healers in Cameroon

To investigate the perceptions of the etiology and treatment of hypertension among a number of traditional healers reputed to treat the disease in Yaoundé.

Semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were administered to 30 selected participants to collect information. Data were collected within the consulting rooms of the traditional caregivers.

Most traditional health caregivers thought that hypertension was associated with target organs such as the heart, brain, liver and kidneys. Over 23% of participants used modern equipment to diagnose the disease or sent their patients to western hospitals for diagnoses before recommending treatment. However, close to 5% of our participants used mystical methods to diagnose hypertension in their patients. Importantly, all traditional healers depended on the patients’ testimony or physical appearance to determine treatment success.

The tools and methods used by many traditional healers to diagnose hypertension are inadequate. Treatment endpoints fail to recognize the need for the long-term management of hypertension.