The aetiology of diseases in central Mozambique: With a special focus on HIV/AIDS

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In central Mozambique a wide range of aetiological explanations of illness are given by traditional healers. This article explores the different interpretations from an emic perspective. Healers who are not involved with any churches distinguish natural diseases from the ones that are ‘provoked’. The later constitute the vast majority. They can be ‘provoked’ by spirits from different origins or by a third person by means of witchcraft. Thus, most of the diseases have a relational origin and people protect themselves by respecting social rules. No known disease is life threatening if appropriate diagnostic treatment is carried out promptly. During the search for the cause of a disease, different interpretations may be given by different healers to the same patient. In the case of prolonged disease such as HIV/AIDS, different interpretations can also be given sequentially as the disease evolves. African tradition of healing gives meaningful explanation of the disease locating it within kin relations, community problems and local history and fuels hope, all of which explain much of its ontological force.