ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the complex entanglements between antiretroviral treatment (ART) and local and national discourses of healing' in Tanzania. The interrelations between HIV/AIDS and religious practice have recently gained heightened attention. Most of the existing studies, however, refer to the era before the large scale roll-out of ART in Africa or do not specifically address the interrelation between ART and religion. Traditional healers' in Tanga engage in diverse therapeutic practices such as herbalism, divination, spirit exorcism, and Quranic healing. The ethnographic research upon which the chapter is based revealed scepticism towards the biomedical truths propagated at Care and Treatment Centers in urban Tanzania. Despite their often positive experiences with antiretroviral medicines (ARVs), many patients kept looking for alternative remedies. Their concept of healing' could not be narrowed down to rising CD4 counts and increased body weight.
