The Committee Secretary

The Portfolio Committee on Health

Mr Saazi Vuke

Fax: (021) 403-2854

30 July 2004

Dear Sir or Madam,

Doctors for Life (South Africa) would like to re-affirm our commitment to promoting holistic health to all the people of South Africa in a scientifically sound and morally accountable way. Representing thousands of health practitioners, we stand for the practice of medicine that is based on evidence and the highest ethics. We are of the opinion that any form of medicine that is not based on empiric truth is potentially (and ultimately) harmful to patients in need.

As was stated during our presentation before the parliamentary committee on Traditional Health Practitioners (in February 1998), we are of the opinion, based on research and many testimonies of fellow South Africans that:

1. Traditional medical practices did not over time improve the survival of children or mothers in birth or patients;
2. Most of the medicines used by traditional practitioners have not been validated scientifically;
3. Many people suffer because of the serious complications (side-effects) that arise due to the use of traditional medicines;
4. Most traditional health practitioners make use of "intangible forces" ("spirits") in their practice of healing, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO);
5. Traditional healers (at least African traditional healers) are priests of the religious system of African Traditional Religion (ATR), and function as such;
6. Occult powers are used in most (the WHO says in all) of the therapeutic acts of traditional healers;
7. Traditional healers make their diagnosis (and therapeutic combinations) with the aid of "spirits" and under the control of the "spirits";
8. Most traditional healers are "called" by the "spirits" to become healers.
9. The licensing of traditional healers will have a negative impact on the economy of South Africa, with regards to giving people time off work for long periods, as often required by the "ancestral spirits".

We feel strongly that The Traditional Health Practitioners Bill is a mechanism that: (a) cannot regulate the spirit world, (b) cannot control the communication between "ancestral spirits" and the healers, and (c) cannot ensure safety for the public against the detrimental affects of traditional medicines.

It is unthinkable to us how we can allow the regulation of the use of medicines that have not been scientifically validated. This does not appear responsible or sensible or reasonable. While the bill proposes that the Council will make rules pertaining to traditional medicines that will "protect the public", we fail to understand how the public will be protected if the healers are still allowed to use medicines that have not been validated scientifically.

While we recognise the positive intention of the Bill, we fail to see how it will "ensure quality of health care" if traditional health practitioners are still allowed to use medicines that are prescribed by the "spirits" (as happens predominantly with African traditional healers).

We consider it our professional and patriotic responsibility to ask this sober question: "How can we regulate what is not yet proven to be right and reliable therapeutic options?!" Why not first research what is claimed to be remedies before we regulate it?

In the present format of the Bill we also cannot see (despite the definition) how "unprofessional conduct" will be determined. Will it be unprofessional to use vaginal secretions for making a traditional remedy (as is the practice with some healers)? Will it be unprofessional to use scrapings from the armpits? Or is it only unprofessional to use medicines that have not been researched and validated yet?

As Doctors for Life International we are committed to be part of the solution and not part of the problem and we would therefore like to request to be granted an opportunity to make an oral submission to your committee in this regard.

Respectfully yours,

DR ALBU VAN EEDEN

Chief Executive Officer