Practices at herbal (muthi) markets in Gauteng, South Africa and their impact on the health of the consumers: A case study of KwaMai-Mai and Marabastad muthi markets
2019
Mbendana, D. | Mamabolo, K. | Truter, M. | Kritzinger, Q. | Ndhlala, A.R.
There is a rapid expansion of the activities at herbal (muthi) markets especially in developing countries such as South Africa. The market activities have fast become a source of livelihood for many. This is due to poor economic growth which has resulted in strains in the public health sector, high levels of unemployment, rural to urban migration and a high cost of living. As a result, more people are seeking alternative ways of making a living through selling traditional herbal medicine at muthi markets. This is fueled by the costliness of doctor consultations as well as prescribed and over-the-counter medications. These factors have led to increasing concerns about the lack of policies that govern trading in muthi markets to ensure safety, efficacy and quality of the herbal medicines. Governing can be done by monitoring whether good agricultural and collection practices (GACPs) and good manufacturing/processing practices (GMPs) are being implemented. The non-conformity to the regulations of GACPs and GMPs have made the selling of herbal medicines one of the major health concerns despite it being an alternative way of acquiring medical care. This communication discusses these issues in depth, giving the authors' experiences at KwaMai-Mai and Marabastad herbal (muthi) markets as well as information from previous studies.
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