Documentation of Traditional Knowledge on Medicinal Plants to Treat Respiratory Diseases in Yem Special Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Respiratory diseases, which are caused by viruses and bacteria affect the upper and lower respiratory tract, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, accounting for approximately 5.8 million deaths worldwide. This study attempts to document some of the most selected medicinal plants found in the study area with respect to respiratory diseases infections. The study was conducted in Yem special woreda of which three kebeles namely (Angery, Kerewa, and shemona metelo). The kebeles were selected purposely based availability of medicinal plants. This study recorded more than 31 plant-derived medicines to cure various respiratory diseases and also corona virus-related diseases. Other questionnaire based results revealed that almost all 90 (98.9%) of the respondents know the causative agents of respiratory diseases. Majority of the communities 43 (86.8%) want to transfer their traditional knowledge to everyone and their source of knowledge for traditional healing is from their father, whereas 11 (12.1%) of them from their mother, 6 (6.6%) from their grandmother and father and 3 (3.3%). Thus, the government should strengthen the capacity of traditional healers with training, financial support and improve means of protecting their intellectual property rights. Moreover, detailed study on phytochemical analysis of these medicinal plants should be promoted so as to modernize the effort of these traditional healers.