Knowledge and Use of Medicinal Traditional Plant Species Ailments in Haramaya, Ethiopia

Melaku Masresha Woldeamanuel

doi:10.11648/j.ijec.20190301.13

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify the medicinal plants and anal-yse local knowledge regarding the use of plants for the treatment and prevention of various human ailments in socio-cultural groups, namely in the peoples of Haramaya, East Harerge, Ethiopia by answering research questions: What were the requirements of the users in filling existing gap in knowledge regarding the traditional medicinal plants? What are the traditional medicinal plants species used as a primary healthcare? Which parts of traditional medicinal plants are used as a primary health care? How does the medicinal plant products are operated by healers? Data was selected from Haramaya District, HarargeZone, East Ethiopia from September 2016 to July 2017thedata were collected from 30 randomly selected traditional plant healer’s using semi-structured interviews and participants observation. The traditional plant species healers were involved in the study were male and female and also their ages range from 25 -95. Interviews were made with each traditional healer about the knowledge and use of medicinal plant species used to treat human diseases in the study area. 22 medicinal plant species were used as cure for 30 ailments. From these, 100 species were recorded for the treatment of human health problems, from the total medicinal Plants. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (31%), seeds (27%), seeds and fruits (3.5%) fruits (3.5%), steam (10.35%), roots (6.7%), jelly of the steam (3.5%), flowers (3.5%), leave bud (3.5%), leaves and roots (3.5%) and terminal bud (3.5%). The most widely used method of preparation was crushing (26.80%) of the different plant parts followed by squeezing (22.68%) and burning (7.21%). The common route of administration recorded was oral (52.01%) followed by dermal (28.52%) and nasal (8.3%). The most commonly used application of medicinal plant was drinking (43.37%) followed by painting (10.84%) and put on and washing accounted for 10.84%. No significant correlation was observed between the age of traditional remedy and the number of species reported and the indigenous knowledge transfer was found to be similar. More than one medicinal plants species were used more frequently than the use of a single species for remedy preparation. Plant parts used for remedy preparations showed significant difference with medicinal plant species abundance in the study area.

Highlights

Brief History of Traditional Medicine in Ethiopia The first recorded epidemic that occurred in Ethiopia dates back to 849 following the expulsion of Abba Yohannes, the head of the Ethiopian church, from the land
Specific objective: collect and document plant species used to treat human ailments in the study area, grouping certain medicinal plants according to their functionality, identify factors threatening medicinal plants in the study area, identifying the negative attitudes toward traditional medicinal plants and provide information by answering the following research questions: What were the requirements of the users in filling existing gap in knowledge regarding the traditional medicinal plants? What are the traditional medicinal plants species used as a primary healthcare? Which parts of traditional medicinal plants are used as a primary health care? How does the medicinal plant products are operated by healers?
Within the study area medicinal traditional plant species ingredients of traditional remedy and they were considered as main primary health care and frequently where the first choice

Summary

Introduction

Brief History of Traditional Medicine in Ethiopia The first recorded epidemic that occurred in Ethiopia dates back to 849 following the expulsion of Abba Yohannes, the head of the Ethiopian church, from the land. In a terrified letter to Abba Yohannes, the Ethiopian emperor wrote that “great tribulations have come upon our land, and all our men are dying of the plague and all of our beasts and cattle have perished” [1]. Virot It is impossible to pinpoint the birth of medicine in Ethiopia, but certainly the evolution of curative practices closely follows the path of a disease. Most traditional medical practices in Ethiopia rely on an explanation of disease that draws on both the “mystical” and “natural” causes of an illness and employ a holistic approach to treatment [2]

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Conclusion