Somali Knowledge Attitude Practices Study (KAPS) - EthnoMed

3.2.2. Health Seeking in NEZ
Health seeking among Pastoral-cum- Agropastoral in Puntland
The most commonly reported illnesses among pastoral communities are diarrhoea, malaria,
respiratory tract infections, such as colds and cough, intestinal worms, malnutrition, skin
infections and convulsions. It should be noted that convulsions normally manifest in conditions in
which fever is symptomatic.
Diarrhoea is basically managed through administration of ORS and if the child does not recover it
is taken to a health facility for better management. Some of the cases are treated using rice water
or herbal cures.
The parents of the child make the decision on where a sick child is to be managed or treated while
the condition (state of illness) is applied in deciding when to seek help. Nonetheless there are
some cases where it is only the father who can make such decisions.
Social networks: If a mother has to be away with a sick child, she may take all the young children
with her or leave them with a neighbour.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices
The childhood illnesses among the agro-pastoral population are malaria, diarrhoea, respiratory
tract infections (coughs and bronchitis), eye infections, intestinal parasites and measles. However
diarrhoea and malaria are the most common illnesses among young children. The types of
common intestinal parasites among children are giardia, amoeba, ascaris and thread worms.
Giardia and amoeba are the most common; affecting 56% and 48% respectively of children under
the age of five years. Overall prevalence of infestation with intestinal worms among children was
estimated to be 80%.
Diarrhoea: Poor sanitation, in which lack of use of latrines was mentioned as an indicator is
considered to be the main cause of diarrhoea. It was reported that many households do not have
and therefore do not use latrines. Instead they use bushes. It was explained that when it rains, the
water carries the faecal matter with it and contaminates the water sources for domestic water.
Malaria: It was reported that rain water forms pools that then become breeding sites for
mosquitoes.
People have the alternative of seeking treatment from traditional healers or modern health
facilities or buying medicines. Diseases that are commonly treated by traditional healers include
diarrhoea, measles, stomach ulcers (gastritis) and teeth problems. Gonorrhoeal was also
mentioned but clarified that this is common among adults.
The current view is that the number of patients seeking the services of traditional healers is
decreasing, indeed it was estimated that while 89% of the cases will be managed at a health
facility or have drugs bought only 11% will be managed under traditional healers. This is the
estimated proportion of people who belief that traditional cures are more effective than modern
treatment. It was further explained that, having grown-up at a time when traditional healers were
solely responsible for treating and managing people’s health, about 67% of the aged people do
not believe in modern health services and hence are still dependent on traditional cures.
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