Status of management of diabetes mellitus by traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria

Abstract

Traditional medicine (TM) as practiced in Nigeria is involved with the management of diseases such as (HIV/AIDs), malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, fungal infections, and cancerous growths among others. Diabetes mellitus is a universal health problem affecting human societies at all stages of development. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing steadily in Nigeria and this trend might be attributed to expensive and un- accessible anti diabetic drugs, negative lifestyles and genetic makeup, among other reasons. Most sufferers have therefore resulted to consulting traditional medical practitioners (TMPs) to manage their health conditions. Currently there are no available data on the role and status of traditional medicine practice in the management on diabetes mellitus in Nigeria. A survey was therefore conducted in November 2009 to document the status of traditional medicine practice involved in the management of diabetes mellitus in six geographical zones of the country. Data was collected by oral interviews of over 70 TMPs and their responses documented in a specially designed questionnaire. This paper intends to highlight the results obtained from the survey with the aim of providing a better understanding of TM practice and availability of necessary statistics to aid the promotion, standardization and integration of the practice into national health care system. Key words: Traditional medical practice, diabetes mellitus, medicinal plants, survey.