Abstract
BackgroundPlants have been used as a primary source of medicine since ancient times and about 80% of the world’s population use herbal medicine to treat different ailments. Plant use knowledge differs in space and time and thus requires documentation to avoid its loss from one generation to another.MethodsIn order to accomplish the survey, semi-structured questionnaires were used. The data collected included names of plant species, parts used, ailments treated, growth habit, methods of preparation and mode of administration of the herbal remedies. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data in form of tables and a graph.ResultsResults showed that 50 plant species belonging to 26 families were utilized in the treatment of paediatric diseases of which Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most common. Leaves (80%) were the most commonly used and decoctions were the main method of preparation. Twenty nine health conditions were treated out of which digestive disorders, malaria and respiratory tract infections were predominant. Herbs and shrubs were equally dominant.ConclusionHerbal remedies are an important source of treatment for paediatric diseases in Buhunga Parish. However, there is need for collaboration between herbal medicine users and scientific institutions to help in the discovery of new drugs based on indigenous knowledge. Scientists ought to explore suitable methods of preparation and dosage formulations in order to achieve the best benefits from herbal remedies.
Highlights
Plants have been used as a primary source of medicine since ancient times and about 80% of the world’s population use herbal medicine to treat different ailments
Traditional medicine is considered as a total sum of all practices, measures and procedures which have from
Most of the women were either single parents or widowed and with a heavy burden of providing for their children and had not attained any formal education compared to men who had at least attained primary and secondary levels of education
Summary
Plants have been used as a primary source of medicine since ancient times and about 80% of the world’s population use herbal medicine to treat different ailments. Plant use knowledge differs in space and time and requires documentation to avoid its loss from one generation to another. The use of herbal medicine in primary health care is still practiced in both developed and developing countries [2]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 80% of the populations in developing countries use herbal medicine to meet their primary healthcare requirements [3, 4]. The use of medicinal plant species in the treatment of children diseases is part and parcel of traditional knowledge that is handed down by word of mouth or orally documentation is necessary
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