Abstract
Description of the subject. Several ethnobotanical studies have demonstrated links between traditional medicine practices and the ethnicity and geographical location of healers, while many others have concluded the opposite. This study deals with the typology of traditional healers in the mountain region of Kahuzi-Biega. Objectives. The goal is to understand whether the typology of traditional healers is related to their inter-ethnic and inter-zonal differences, based on diseases treated and plants used. Method. Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted using the “PSSVV” method. This involved 88 traditional healers recognized as “specialists” in 33 villages adjacent to the forest of Kahuzi-Biega, in DR Congo. Multivariate analysis (clustering, ordination, Mantel test, IndVal) were applied to establish typologies of traditional healers. Results. Multivariate analyses showed that ethnicity and geographical location did not explain the practices and knowledge of healers. However, by using the IndVal method, differences were observed in their degree of specialization. Non-specialized healers (70%) could be distinguished from specialized healers (30%). Two clear groups of specialists emerged; those who treat bone trauma and those who treat obstetric-gynecological complaints. The Mantel correlation test revealed a positive association (r = 0.134, p < 0.05) between the “healers-plants” and “healers-diseases” matrices. This indicates that healers who treat similar diseases use similar herbs. Both typologies have shown their preferences for forest species (81%), especially trees (51%). Conclusions. This exploratory study suggests that traditional healers are characterized based on their specializations. This result helps in creating strategies to preserve local traditional knowledge and apply it to the conservation of species.
Highlights
Throughout the world, traditional medicine is regarded as a precious heritage, for communities in developing countries
Its importance is well established on the African continent where about 80% of the population mainly relies on herbs for their primary health care (WHO, 2002)
Three groups of healers were identified from cluster analysis (Figure 3): group 1 was correlated to the two Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMMS) ordination axes, while groups 2 and 3 showed a better correlation with axis 2 (Figure 3)
Summary
Throughout the world, traditional medicine is regarded as a precious heritage, for communities in developing countries. Its importance is well established on the African continent where about 80% of the population mainly relies on herbs for their primary health care (WHO, 2002). The use of traditional medicine increased in the area since the start of the armed conflict in Eastern DR Congo in 1996 (Shalukoma, 2008). While World Health Organization (WHO) standards prescribe at least one doctor per 10,000 inhabitants, in South-Kivu there is one doctor per 27,699 inhabitants (PNUD, 2009). The population’s demand for medicinal herbs exerts considerable pressure on vegetation, especially in protected areas (Mbayngone et al, 2011). Loss of plant species and biodiversity could be a direct consequence of the lack of regulation of the plants used in traditional medicine in many African countries. Ethnobotanical studies are essential for understanding needs and helping decision-making when it comes to sustainable conservation of local flora
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