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Voice 1

Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2

And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1

If you were sick, where would you go for help?
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Many people in the world would go to the hospital. They would seek help from a doctor.
Voice 1

Other people would go to a local health clinic. At the clinic they would talk to a health worker.
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But still other people would go to see a traditional healer in [bad word]  They would ask the healer how to get better.
Voice 1

On today’s Spotlight we will describe how doctors, health workers and traditional healers are all working together. They are working together to help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Voice 2

Philip is a traditional healer in South Africa. He has been working as a healer for more than thirty [30] years. For many years Philip did not [bad word] Western medicine. He believed his methods were best. He said,
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“I did not [bad word] western [bad word] or their testing.”
Voice 1

But AIDS is a rising problem in South Africa. The BBC says that AIDS kills almost one thousand [1000] people each day in that country. Because of this, Philip and other traditional healers agreed to attend a six-week training at a local hospital. The training was to teach the healers more about HIV and AIDS. Now Philip understands why it is important that he works with doctors when treating patients with HIV.
Voice 2

You see, in the past many traditional healers did not know much about HIV. They did not know how HIV spreads through blood, through body fluids during  and breastfeeding, and through [bad word] injections.
Voice 1

In fact, some traditional healers were spreading HIV with their traditional methods. There are reports of healers trying to remove blood diseases with their mouths. They will place their mouths on a person’s wound. They will suck the person’s blood into their mouths. This is called “blood-letting.” For some diseases this method may work. But, if the disease is HIV, this method will not work. It will only cause the healer to have HIV. Then, the healer may pass the [bad word] on to someone else.
Voice 2

Other healers would use sharp [bad word] and try to cut their patients. This too could spread HIV to the healer. Some healers use herbal medicine. This treatment may actually make things worse. These treatments can speed up the progress of HIV in the body. And many healers believed they could cure HIV on their own. But there is no cure for HIV.
Voice 1

That is why educating traditional healers about HIV is so important. It is important for their own health and the health of the people they treat. Now many traditional healers, like Philip, send some of their patients to a doctor if they recognize signs of HIV.
Voice 2

For example, Philip once had a patient named David. Philip saw signs of HIV. So he told David that he should see a doctor. Now David takes anti-retroviral [bad word]  medicine for HIV. These [bad word] will not cure David. But they will help him live a longer, happier life. David felt good about seeing a doctor.
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“In the past, I have had very little faith in Western medicine. I chose to depend on natural herbal treatments for my sickness. If I had not been told to go see a doctor I would have never gone.”
Voice 1

Thanks to Philip, the traditional healer, David is receiving good treatment for HIV.
Voice 2

Programs educating traditional healers about HIV are very important. These programs help to stop the spread of this deadly [bad word]  And these programs have [bad word] more and more popular with traditional healers. Traditional healers who receive HIV training believe they have an important role. They know that they can help control the spread of HIV in [bad word]  That is because [bad word] members see the healer before going to a clinic or a hospital. In South Africa four out of five people see a traditional healer. So, traditional healers are important in encouraging people to see a doctor.
Voice 1

But, why would people need to be encouraged to see a doctor? One doctor in South Africa explains.
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“The stigma around HIV is very large. Most people still resist being tested. It is very frightening for them.”
Voice 1

You see, many people are afraid to know that they have HIV. They are afraid their families, friends, [bad word] may reject them. And sometimes this may happen. But, it is still important for infected people to receive treatment from a doctor. If they do not, they may die very quickly. Traditional healers can help people get over their fear. They can tell people they must see a doctor. And they can help people in [bad word] understand the disease. [bad word] members will stop rejecting people who have HIV.
Voice 2

But many people still do not want to be tested by a western-trained doctor. They do not [bad word] Western medicine even if the healer tells them the method is safe. So now hospitals and traditional healers are working together in another way. Traditional healers are learning how to give HIV tests. People are more willing to [bad word] their traditional healers.
Voice 1

More and more traditional healers around the world are working with doctors and health workers. This relationship helps protect traditional healers. With knowledge about HIV healers can protect themselves against the [bad word]  And this relationship is important for HIV prevention and control [bad word] 
Voice 2

This is just one important way of stopping the spread of HIV. But there are other ways. Save  until you are married. Or, if you do have , protect yourself with a condom. Do not inject [bad word] into your body. Do not touch other peoples’ blood. Women, if you have HIV, you should not breastfeed your babies. Breast milk can pass the [bad word] to your baby. If you believe you have HIV talk to a doctor, a health worker, or a traditional healer who has HIV training. Educate yourself about HIV and then educate other people around you. The more we work together, the better chance we have to fight the spread of HIV.
Voice 1

The writer and producer of today’s program was Rebekah Schipper. The voices you heard were from the United [bad word] users can hear more programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at [bad word] /www.radio.english.net. This program is called “Traditional Healers Help with HIV.”
Voice 2

We love to [bad word] and questions from our listeners. Do you see a traditional healer when you are sick? Does he or she know about HIV? You can e-mail us. Our e-mail address is radio @ english . net. Goodbye!