Challenges with accessing health care for young children presumed to have malaria in the rural district of Butaleja, Uganda: a qualitative study

Rahimi, Asa; Kassam, Rosemin; Sekiwunga, Richard

doi:10.18549/pharmpract.2019.4.1622

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(83 reference statements)

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“…Butaleja, is a remote district in eastern Uganda with relatively poor infrastructure and service delivery. It is deficient in pharmacies, licensed private drug shops, and affordable private clinics [ 19 ]. Therefore, the district is characterized by widespread use of medicinal plants for disease treatment and health promotion [ 4 , 20 , 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medicinal plant use, conservation, and the associated traditional knowledge in rural communities in Eastern Uganda

et al. 2022

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Background The global consumption of herbal medicine is increasing steadily, posing an extinction risk to medicinal plants. Uganda is among the top ten countries with a high threat of herbal medicine extinction, and Traditional Medicinal Knowledge (TMK) erosion. This might be attributed to the inadequate documentation, plus many more unclear hindrances. In this study, plant species used to treat human diseases in Butaleja district in Eastern Uganda and their associated TMK were documented. The conservation methods for medicinal plants were also evaluated. The rationale was to support the preservation of ethnopharmacological knowledge. Methods Data were collected from 80 herbalists using semi-structured questionnaires, from July 2020 to March 2021. Additionally, guided field walks and observations were conducted. Quantitative indices such as, use categories and informant consensus factor (ICF) were evaluated to elucidate the importance of the medicinal plants. Data were analyzed using STATA version-15.0 software. Results In total, 133 species, belonging to 34 families and 125 genera were identified. Fabaceae (65%), and Solanaceae (29%) were the dominant families. Leaves (80%), and roots (15%), were the commonest parts used in medicinal preparations; mostly administered orally as decoctions (34.6%) and infusions (16%). The commonest illnesses treated were cough (7.74%), gastric ulcers (7.42%), and malaria (4.52%). The informant consensus factor was high for all disease categories (≥ 0.8), indicating homogeneity of knowledge about remedies used. Only 73% of the respondents made efforts to conserve medicinal plants. The commonest conservation strategy was preservation of forests with spiritually valued species (100%), while compliance with government regulations was the rarest (4.5%). Overall, efforts to stop the extinction of medicinal plants and TMK were inadequate. Conclusion and recommendations There was enormous dependency on a rich diversity of medicinal plant species and TMK for healthcare and income generation. The potential for medicinal plant biodiversity loss was evident due to habitat destruction. Inclusion of traditional cultural norms in conservation strategies, and laboratory-based efficacy tests for the species identified are necessary, to promote the conservative and utilization of validated herbal medicines and TMK in rural settings.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medicinal plant use, conservation, and the associated traditional knowledge in rural communities in Eastern Uganda

et al. 2022

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“…Butalejja, is one of the rural, remote districts in eastern Uganda with relatively poor infrastructure and service delivery; It is de cient in pharmacies, licensed private drug shops, and affordable private clinics (Rahimi et al, 2019). Thus, the district is characterized with wide spread use of medicinal plants (Mbonye et al, 2006;Tabuti et al, 2012;Nuwaha et al, 2013) to treat various ailments and to generate income.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medicinal plants in Butalejja District, Eastern Uganda: plants, medical importance, conservation and Medicinal Traditional Knowledge

Ssenku

Okurut

Namuli

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: Currently, the global consumption of herbal medicine is increasing steadily, incurring extinction risks to the medicinal plant species. Uganda is one of the top ten countries with alarming levels of loss of medicinal plant biodiversity, and erosion of the associated Medicinal Traditional Knowledge (MTK). This study documented medicinal plant species, and examined the approaches used in preventing extinction of these species and the associated MTK in Butalejja district. Methods: A cross – sectional study design was adopted to conduct an ethnopharmacological survey, using semi-structured questionnaires administered to purposively selected herbalists. Simple descriptive statistics were adopted for data analysis using STATA version-15.0. Results: A total of 133 medicinal plant species, belonging to 34 families and 125 genera were identified. Most species belonged to family Fabaceae (22; 65%), and Solanaceae (10; 29%). Leaves were the commonest organ used (81; 80%), followed by roots (15; 15%). Medicinal herbs were mainly administered orally as decoctions (100; 34.6%), and infusions (45; 16%). The most cited diseases treated were cough (24; 7.74%), Ulcers (23; 7.42%), and Malaria (14; 4.52%). Medicinal plants were majorly harvested from homestead farms and roadside vegetation, with wetlands being the least cited habitat. Efforts to stop the extinction of medicinal plants and MTK were inadequate. Conclusion and recommendations: There was high dependency on medicinal plant species for primary healthcare and income generation. Noted also was the accelerated loss of medicinal plant biodiversity due to habitat destruction, especially in swamps. The conservation of medicinal plants and MTK was largely attributed to traditional cultural values. There is need for validation of efficacy and safety of key medicinal plants identified in this study, to support their future adoption in clinical medicine and pharmaceutical industries. Inclusion of traditional cultural ideals in national biodiversity conservation programs is warranted.

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“…Substantial challenges in the identification of severely ill children have been reported under IMCI, potentially leading to missed referrals [7]. In addition, completion of referrals are commonly complicated by family circumstances, costs and transportation issues [8], as well as gender norms [9], leading to delayed or incomplete referrals [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypoxemia, hypoglycemia and IMCI danger signs in pediatric outpatients in Malawi

Thunberg

Zadutsa

Phiri

et al. 2022

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Hypoxemia and hypoglycemia are known risks for mortality in children in low-income settings. Routine screening with pulse oximetry and blood glucose assessments for outpatients could assist in early identification of high-risk children. We assessed the prevalence of hypoglycemia and hypoxemia, and the overlap with Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) general danger signs, among children seeking outpatient care in Malawi. A cross-sectional study was conducted at 14 government primary care facilities, four rural hospitals and one district referral hospital in Mchinji district, Malawi from August 2019—April 2020. All children aged 0–12 years seeking care with an acute illness were assessed on one day per month in each facility. Study research assistants measured oxygen saturation using Lifebox LB-01 pulse oximeter and blood glucose was assessed with AccuCheck Aviva glucometers. World Health Organization definitions were used for severe hypoglycemia (<2.5mmol/l) and hypoxemia (SpO2 <90%). Moderate hypoglycemia (2.5–4.0mmol/l) and hypoxemia (SpO2 90–93%) were also calculated and prevalence levels compared between those with and without IMCI danger signs using chi2 tests. In total 2,943 children were enrolled, with a median age of 41 (range: 0–144) months. The prevalence of severe hypoxemia was 0.6% and moderate hypoxemia 5.4%. Severe hypoglycemia was present in 0.1% of children and moderate hypoglycemia in 11.1%. IMCI general danger signs were present in 29.3% of children. All severely hypoglycemic children presented with an IMCI danger sign (p <0.001), but only 23.5% of the severely hypoxemic and 31.7% of the moderately hypoxemic children. We conclude that while the prevalence of severe hypoxemia and hypoglycemia were low, moderate levels were not uncommon and could potentially be useful as an objective tool to determine referral needs. IMCI danger signs identified hypoglycemic children, but results highlight the challenge to detect hypoxemia. Future studies should explore case management strategies for moderate hypoxemia and hypoglycemia.

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Challenges with accessing health care for young children presumed to have malaria in the rural district of Butaleja, Uganda: a qualitative study

Cited by 10 publications

References 53 publications

Medicinal plant use, conservation, and the associated traditional knowledge in rural communities in Eastern Uganda

Medicinal plant use, conservation, and the associated traditional knowledge in rural communities in Eastern Uganda

Medicinal plants in Butalejja District, Eastern Uganda: plants, medical importance, conservation and Medicinal Traditional Knowledge

Hypoxemia, hypoglycemia and IMCI danger signs in pediatric outpatients in Malawi

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