Use of Traditional Medicines in the Management of HIV/AIDS Infections in Tanzania: A Case in Bukoba Rural District
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Date
2007
Journal Title
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Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
Background: Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out to document herbal remedies used in the
management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in Bukoba Rural district, Tanzania. The district
is currently an epicenter of HIV/AIDS and although over 90% of the population in the district relies
on traditional medicines to manage the disease, this knowledge is impressionistic and not well
documented. The HIV/AIDS opportunistic conditions considered during the study were
Tuberculosis (TB), Herpes zoster (Shingles), Herpes simplex (Genital herpes), Oral candidiasis and
Cryptococcal meningitis. Other symptomatic but undefined conditions considered were skin
rashes and chronic diarrhea.
Methods: An open-ended semi-structured questionnaire was used in collecting field information.
Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the ethnobotanical data collected. Factor of informant
consensus (Fic) was used to analyze the ethnobotanical importance of the plants.
Results: In the present study, 75 plant species belonging to 66 genera and 41 families were found
to be used to treat one or more HIV/AIDS related infections in the district. The study revealed
that TB and oral candidiasis were the most common manifestations of HIV/AIDS opportunistic
infections affecting most of the population in the area. It unveils the first detailed account of
ethnomedical documentation of plants focusing the management of HIV/AIDS related infections in
the district.
Conclusion: It is concluded that the ethnopharmacological information reported forms a basis for
further research to identify and isolate bioactive constituents that can be developed to drugs for
the management of the HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections.
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Citation
Kisangau, D.P., Lyaruu, H.V., Hosea, K.M. and Joseph, C.C., 2007. Use of traditional medicines in the management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in Tanzania: a case in the Bukoba rural district. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 3(1), p.1.