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Copper sulphate use in South African traditional medicine

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Abstract

Copper (Cu) is an essential element to humans; however, exposure to elevated concentrations through occupational hazard and/or environmental means may be detrimental. This paper provides results of a cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of copper sulphate (CuSO4) use in South African traditional medicine by traditional health practitioners (THPs) and details the use thereof. A total of 201 THPs were enrolled from two main municipal areas of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). Information on demographic characteristics of THPs, reasons for using or not using CuSO4 as well as administration methods and age groups of recipients were collected. Of the 201 THPs interviewed, 145 (72 %) use CuSO4 for healing purposes. The use of CuSO4 was strongly associated with gender (p = 0.009) where the proportion of CuSO4 users was higher for female than male THPs. CuSO4 was reportedly administered to individuals of all ages, including infants and children. The main routes of administration were enema (n = 110; 76 %), oral (n = 40; 28 %) and use in bath (n = 40; 28 %). The reasons cited for use are diverse and included skin rashes (n = 43; 30 %), aches, pains and swelling (n = 38; 28 %) as well as sexually transmitted diseases (n = 28; 19 %). This study identified a high prevalence of THPs using CuSO4 for healing purposes. These findings support the need to regulate South African traditional medicine to safeguard the user.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the THPs for providing their valuable time. Special thanks to Makosi Mpume Mbatha. We also acknowledge the time and effort and comments of the anonymous peer reviewers.

Funding

This project was funded by the South African Medical Research Council (SA MRC) with funding provided to the Principle Investigator from the SA MRC’s Career Development Awards Programme. The University of KwaZulu-Natal is thanked for additional funding. The content of this publication is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of any of the institutions mentioned above.

Author contributions

RS initiated the concept and oversaw the study methodology. GK and CC performed the statistical analysis and interpreted the results. RS, GK and CC drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa

    Renée A. Street

  2. Discipline of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Renée A. Street

  3. Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa

    Gaëtan M. Kabera & Catherine Connolly

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  1. Renée A. Street
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  2. Gaëtan M. Kabera
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  3. Catherine Connolly
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Correspondence to Renée A. Street.

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Street, R.A., Kabera, G.M. & Connolly, C. Copper sulphate use in South African traditional medicine. Environ Geochem Health 39, 467–474 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-016-9824-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-016-9824-2

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