Uganda: '90 Percent of the Mentally Ill Prefer Healers'

10 November 2007

Kampala — ABOUT 90 per cent of people with mental illnesses go to traditional healers as the first point of contact, a study has shown. The study that was conducted recently by Mental Health Uganda in Jinja and Soroti districts, cited cultural beliefs and practices as factors forcing people to seek treatment from traditional practitioners.

Another study done in 11 districts in Northern and Eastern Uganda indicated that about 59.3 per cent of patients sought help from religious leaders, 0.6 per cent from traditional healers and only 2.3 per cent went to modern health units.

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