Herbal medicine acceptance, sources and utilization for diarrhoea management in a cosmopolitan urban area (Thika, Kenya)
2007
Njoroge, Grace Njeri | Kibunga, Joan Wanjiku
The use of herbal remedies is usually perceived as a rural phenomenon, hence it is usually not clear whether they are an accepted mode of healthcare system in urban areas. This study aimed at investigating the role of herbal medicines in managing diarrhoea in an urban centre, document important plants utilized and their conservation status. The results indicate that diarrhoea is a serious problem in Thika urban slums. Ninety-eight per cent in the study area had suffered had suffered diarrhoea in the recent past (during the last 1 year). In regard to the mode of treatment sought for this condition, 97.45% had used herbal preparations. The majority (52.5%) first seek treatment for diarrhoea from herbalists before going to the hospital. More people (23.7%) in the study area seek herbal preparations for diarrhoea management because they consider them more effective than biomedicines, compared with 13.2% who opt for the herbal concoctions because they are cheap. A large diversity of species (41 species in 25 families) is used in diarrhoea management. The most common plants include Senna didymobotrya (Fresen.) Irwin & Barney, Physalis Peruvian L., and Cucurbita maxima Lam. Most of these are obtained from wild habitats, hence their conservation status needs to be addressed.
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