Abstract
This survey was aimed to determine the indigenous knowledge of communities around Lake Victoria Region regarding the treatment and management of Tuberculosis. Opinion leaders suggested the names and locations of known Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs) in the study locale. A sample of 102 TMPS from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania residing around Lake Victoria Basis in East Africa participated in the study. Snow ball sampling technique was used to draw 22 TB patients claimed to have been treated by TMPs. It was established that local people have remarkable detailed knowledge of species identity, characteristics and their uses in the treatment and management of Tuberculosis. The main parts of the plants used include the root, bark, leaves and seeds in various combinations. It is concluded that local people have vast knowledge regarding the treatment of tuberculosis which is largely confined to the elderly, exploit the medicinal plants non-sustainably and use crude plant extracts as concoctions for treating and/or managing TB. It is recommended that traditional knowledge should be documented and top priority be given to the conservation of the habitat by launching special programs for raising people’s awareness about sustainable utilization of medicinal plant species and conservation. Key words: Indigenous knowledge, medicinal plants, rural community, treatment of tuberculosis, sustainable use, conservation.
Highlights
There is abundant literature which indicates that rural communities across the world and especially Lake Victoria Region depend heavily on plant diversity and have traditionally made judicious selection of these plants for various purposes including control of various ailments affecting human and their domestic animals (Heinrich,2000; Mahmood et al, 2011a; Joshi et al, 2010)
The 99 Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs) who participated in the study demonstrated a good understanding of the symptoms of tuberculosis which they claimed to treat and manage using medicinal plant species
This study reveals that the study area is rich with medicinal plants and it is a common trend to use these plant species in local healthcare system especially in the treatment and management of Tuberculosis
Summary
There is abundant literature which indicates that rural communities across the world and especially Lake Victoria Region depend heavily on plant diversity and have traditionally made judicious selection of these plants for various purposes including control of various ailments affecting human and their domestic animals (Heinrich,2000; Mahmood et al, 2011a; Joshi et al, 2010). A global review of phytomedicine in relation to ethnology reveals that the science of plants in the early days was based on the utilitarian approach (Wallis, 2005). This is evident because there are several records of highly priced plant species which have been mentioned several times in literature (Joshi et al, 2010). These communities collect useful plant resources from various habitats and utilize them using indigenous knowledge and practices
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