Local Indigenous Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Processing Antimalarial Herbs: An Assessment Based on WHO Requirements

by Open Science Repository Anthropology
(July 2013)

Abstract

Whereas conventional health facilities exist, majority Tororo communities in Uganda still employ herbal malaria treatment. Despite widespread herbal utilization, documentation about them or about herbalist knowledge, attitude and practices of herbal standardization is scanty.

The purpose of this study was to document knowledge, attitude and practices of herbalists in processing antimalarial herbs and whether these conform to WHO requirements.

A survey employing structured interviews, Key Informant interviews and focus group discussions was carried out in four Tororo sub-counties (January - February, 2010). Qualitative data was analysed by thematic content analysis and quantitative data by monovariate and bivariate analyses.

From 106 respondents, 100% were scantily knowledgeable about WHO herbal standardization. On attitude, 100% respondents feared labelling their products. While 63.2% respondents had practiced antimalarial herbalism for over ten years, practices including plant identification, collection, preparation, packaging, labelling and storage are still below WHO standards.

In conclusion, 45 antimalarial herbal species have been documented; knowledge, attitude and practices of herbalists in processing antimalarial herbs with their practices still below WHO requirements.

Keywords: antimalarial, standardization, herbal, herbalist, WHO.

Full text

Local Indigenous Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Processing Antimalarial Herbs: An Assessment Based on WHO Requirements