PIH4 - The Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge Applied in Parasitology in the Andean Cordillera of Ecuador

Abstract

To identify the ancestral therapeutic measures applied to intestinal parasitic infections in schoolchildren of the rural parish of San Juan, in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in 125 schoolchildren, aged 5 to 12 years, belonging to the EVANES project. To determine the educational level and ethnicity of the mothers, the type of antiparasitic used and the frequency of children medical check-up, a survey was applied. The statistical treatment of data was performed with the SPSS program, version 20.0. This study complies with the ethical considerations of the Helsinki declaration and has the approval of the Bioethics Committee of the San Francisco University of Quito. 90.4% of the respondents were described themselves as indigenous. 74.4% of the mothers have only completed primary education and 12.8% had no studies. 24.0% of the children had no medical examination, while 21.6% visited a specialist in paediatrics each year. The use of natural antiparasitic corresponded to 45.6%, being higher in the indigenous population than in the mestizos (85.96% vs 14.04%, p = 0.036). No differences were found according to the educational level of parents. Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) was the most used plant, either alone or combined with other herbs (p <0.001). Most the population is indigenous, determining an eminent use of natural medicine. A high use of chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), as intestinal antiparasitic, was identified.