Traditional healers play an important role in the provision of healthcare in many communities in Africa. This study aimed to improve home management of @entity311 in @entity1 by assessing the healer's knowledge and practice. A semi-structured questionnaire interview of 127 traditional healers selected by proportionate sampling technique from two rural and two urban local government areas (LGAs) of southwestern Nigeria was followed by a training program. @entity311 ranked first (87%) among the illnesses managed by the healers. Diagnosis of @entity221 was often (72%) based on client history, physical examination (24.4%), consulting oracles (18.9%), and interpretation of dreams (3.1%). Treatment of @entity311 was with boiled herbs ("agbo"; 72%), ground herbs ("agunmu"; 14%), and incisions and scarifications (3%). Forty-one (32.5%) healers had referred febrile @entity1 to a health facility. Younger healers and those who had at least a secondary education were more likely to refer @entity1 (p < 0.05 in both cases). Thirty-six healers (28.4%) had previous formal training on management of fevers, most of whom were the younger (p < 0.05), educated healers (p > 0.05), with fewer years of practice (p > 0.05). Research into traditional herbs (48%), better acknowledgment by government (23.6%), and collaboration with other health sectors were suggestions to improve practice. Traditional healers, especially the older, less-educated, and long-practicing healers, urgently require formal training and collaboration with other healthcare providers to improve knowledge and promote early referral of @entity1 with @entity221 .

Case management of childhood XXXX by traditional healers in southwest Nigeria: identification of training and collaborative needs.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children', 'patients'] @entity311 :: ('MESH:D008288', 'Disease') :: ['Malaria', 'malaria'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['fever']
@entity221 :: (MESH:D005334,Disease) :: ['fever']
