Ethnobotany in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique: Use of Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Communities in Cabo Delgado have a long tradition of using medicinal plants. In Mozambique, rural populations in general are highly dependent on natural resources. One example is the use of surrounding vegetation by people from Cabo Delgado. They use plants for food, handicrafts, construction, as a primary energy source and even for medicine purposes. In this survey, we examined the diversity of plant usage for medicinal purposes by 146 individuals, including adults and youth living in the Cabo Delgado province. This community quoted 16 species of plants, belonging to 13 families. Utilisation by different categories of people based on sex and age was compared and differences were found among some groups. In general, older people show a deeper knowledge of medicinal plants than younger people. Men and women show similar knowledge of medicinal plants.