African Traditional and Complementary Therapies

Ozioma Ezekwesili-Ofili, Josephine; Okechukwu Ogbonna, Anthony

doi:10.5772/intechopen.103060

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…According to the World Health Organization, TM is comprised of health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs that incorporate plants, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises [ 4 ]. These are applied as single or combined therapies [ 5 ]. It has been estimated that 80% of the world population relies on TM to meet their health care needs [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is entrenched within wider belief and cultural systems [ 4 , 7 ]. TM is an important part of health care provision in many African countries where it is used to treat a wide range of illnesses [ 4 , 5 ]. It may be used in combination with the conventional therapy, particularly for chronic, unexplained or recurrent conditions as well as those that defy conventional scientific treatment that may be attributed to attacks by evil spirits, spell-casting and witchcraft [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Traditional Medicine Beliefs and Practices among Caregivers of Children under Five Years—The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS), Western Kenya: A qualitative study

Ngere

Akelo²,

Ondenge³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Background Approximately 80% of the population residing in sub-Saharan Africa relies on Traditional Medicine (TM). However, literature on factors motivating the use of TM for children under the age of five in these settings is limited. Such information can guide policy formulation for integration of TM into mainstream health care services. This study aimed to describe the motivation on use of TM among caregivers of children residing in rural and urban communities in western Kenya. Methods The socio-behavioral sciences (SBS) arm of the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) program in western Kenya, conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study in Manyatta—an urban informal settlement located in Kisumu town and Karemo—a rural setting in Siaya County. We performed 29 in-depth interviews, 5 focus group discussions and 11 semi-structured interviews with community representatives (n = 53), health workers (n = 17), and community leaders (n = 18). All the participants were purposively sampled. We performed thematic analysis using both inductive and deductive approaches. Data management was completed on Nvivo 11.0 software (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). Results Our findings reveal that some caregivers prefer TM to treat some childhood diseases. Use of TM was informed by illness beliefs about etiology of disease. We observed an appreciation from the study participants that malaria can effectively be treated by Conventional Medicine (CM) while TM was preferred to treat measles and diseases believed to be associated with supernatural etiology such as witchcraft, evil spirit or breaching cultural taboos. TM was also used in instances where CM failed to provide a diagnosis or when CM was ‘slow’. TM in such cases was used as a last resort. Conclusion We observed varied beliefs that motivate caregivers’ choice of TM use among children in western Kenya. It is therefore crucial to consider perceptions and socio-cultural beliefs about illnesses when formulating interventions that are geared towards child health.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Medicine Beliefs and Practices among Caregivers of Children under Five Years—The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS), Western Kenya: A qualitative study

Ngere

Akelo²,

Ondenge³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Current Status and Challenges of Pharmacovigilance of Traditional Medicines in French-Speaking West African (UEMOA) Countries

et al. 2023

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Biological and medicinal properties of Pouzolzia mixta solms (Urticaceae): a narrative review

Maroyi

2023

AJFAND

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Local communities use plant resources from the surrounding environment for firewood, food and medicines, and for their livelihood maintenance, security and income generation. The different parts of Pouzolzia mixta Solms are characterized by nutritional, cultural and pharmaceutical properties. Pouzolzia mixta is a small tree or shrub which grows naturally in tropical woodlands and thickets of Africa and Asia. The current study is aimed at providing information on the biological and medicinal properties of P. mixta. Information on the biological and medicinal properties of P. mixta was obtained from online databases such as Scopus, JSTOR, Scimago, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct, and pre-electronic sources such as books, journal articles, dissertations, book chapters, thesis and other scientific articles obtained from the University of Fort Hare library. This study showed that the leaves of P. mixta are used as culinary herb and leafy vegetable in tropical Africa and Asia. In south central Africa, the bark, leaves, roots and stems of P. mixta are used as ritual and protective charm, and traditional medicine to treat and manage 48 human and 13 animal diseases and ailments. The phytochemical evaluations of the species showed that the leaves and roots of the species are characterized by alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolics, steroids and tannins. The pharmacological assessments showed that the crude extracts of P. mixta leaves, roots and stems are characterized by antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-diabetic, anti-fertility and antioxidant activities. This review highlighted the food, pharmaceutical and health benefits of P. mixta in different countries in east and southern Africa, and Asia. Based on the results of this review, detailed ethnopharmacological evaluations of P. mixta focusing on phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and toxicological evaluations, in vivo and clinical research are recommended. The data from the current study should contribute to improved management and conservation of P. mixta in tropical Africa and Asia, considering concerns about anthropogenic pressure on plant biodiversity. Key words: Biological activities, indigenous knowledge, pharmacological properties, Pouzolzia mixta, traditional medicine, Urticaceae

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African Traditional and Complementary Therapies

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

Traditional Medicine Beliefs and Practices among Caregivers of Children under Five Years—The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS), Western Kenya: A qualitative study

Traditional Medicine Beliefs and Practices among Caregivers of Children under Five Years—The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS), Western Kenya: A qualitative study

Current Status and Challenges of Pharmacovigilance of Traditional Medicines in French-Speaking West African (UEMOA) Countries

Biological and medicinal properties of Pouzolzia mixta solms (Urticaceae): a narrative review

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