Department of Public Health and Community Nursing, University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania.
National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Tanga Centre, Tanga, Tanzania.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023 Oct 25;23(1):379. doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04216-0.
Right through history, humans have relied heavily on plants for sustenance and the healing of different ailments. One of the long-standing traditions that communities have inherited from earlier generations is the use of herbal medicines for the treatment of paediatric ailments, including diarrhoea. This study showcased medicinal plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of diarrhoeal diseases among under-five children in North-eastern Tanzania.
A qualitative research approach and a narrative research design were employed. The research was carried out in the districts of Korogwe and Handeni in North-eastern Tanzania, with 52 in-depth interviews performed with participants (traditional healers). Purposive sampling method was used to select participants, and a thematic analysis framework was used to analyze the data.
Study results indicate that traditional healers had enormous insights and were well informed about medicinal plants that were perceived to be efficacious in treating diarrhoeal diseases among under-five children. A total of 54 medicinal plants were reported by the participants to be effective in healing diarrhoeal diseases among under-five children. However, out of 54 medicinal plants, 15 were predominantly disclosed by the majority of participants. Those medicinal plants include Psidium guajava, Rhus natalensis, Ozoroa insignis, Tamarindus indica, Ocimum suave, Combretum molle, Zanha africana, Solanum incanum, and Ximenia americana. Other medicinal plants mentioned by most participants include, Ochna holstii, Elaeodendron schlechterianum, Albizia anthelmintica, Commiphora pteleifolia, Salacia stuhlmanniana, and Zenkerella grotei.
All traditional healers seemed to have a clear understanding regarding the medicinal plants that were used to treat diarrhoeal diseases among under-five children. The participants acknowledged to treating under-five children with diarrhoeal diseases using herbal medications on multiple occasions. The findings of this study should inspire more in-depth botanical research to determine whether the medicinal plants reported in this study have anti-diarrhoeal properties.
纵观历史，人类一直依赖植物来维持生计和治疗各种疾病。社区从早期几代人那里继承的一个长期传统是使用草药来治疗儿科疾病，包括腹泻。本研究展示了坦桑尼亚东北部传统治疗师用于治疗 5 岁以下儿童腹泻病的药用植物。
采用定性研究方法和叙述性研究设计。该研究在坦桑尼亚东北部的科罗戈韦和汉德尼地区进行，对 52 名参与者（传统治疗师）进行了 52 次深入访谈。采用目的抽样法选择参与者，并使用主题分析框架对数据进行分析。
研究结果表明，传统治疗师对被认为对治疗 5 岁以下儿童腹泻病有效的药用植物有深刻的认识和丰富的了解。共有 54 种药用植物被参与者报告为治疗 5 岁以下儿童腹泻病的有效药物。然而，在 54 种药用植物中，有 15 种主要是由大多数参与者披露的。这些药用植物包括番石榴、巴戟天、奥佐罗亚 insignis、罗望子、罗勒、柔枝山榄、非洲山榄、茄属植物、美洲苦树。大多数参与者提到的其他药用植物包括 Ochna holstii、Elaeodendron schlechterianum、 Albizia anthelmintica、 Commiphora pteleifolia、 Salacia stuhlmanniana 和 Zenkerella grotei。
所有的传统治疗师似乎都对用于治疗 5 岁以下儿童腹泻病的药用植物有清晰的认识。参与者承认多次使用草药治疗 5 岁以下儿童腹泻病。本研究的结果应该激发更深入的植物学研究，以确定本研究中报告的药用植物是否具有抗腹泻特性。
