Bandé Moumouni, Sakira Abdoul Karim, Zangré Noé Rigobert, Bonkoungou Hyacinthe Wendégoudi, Zoungrana Evance Brice, Delporte Cédric, Van Antwerpen Pierre, Somé Touridomon Issa
Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Santé, Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Environnement, Santé, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
ULB - Faculty of PHARMACY, RD3 - Pharmacognosy, Bioanalysis & Drug Discovery Unit & Analytical Platform of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Bld Triomphe, Campus Plaine, CP 205/5 B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
Trop Med Health. 2025 Jul 22;53(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s41182-025-00773-x.
Snakebite envenomation constitutes a major public health challenge in Burkina Faso, particularly within rural communities. Limited access to formal healthcare services, coupled with the high cost of antivenom treatment, has led to widespread reliance on traditional health practitioners (THPs). This study was therefore undertaken to generate empirical data on the role of THPs in the management of snakebite envenomation, with a focus on the medicinal plants employed, methods of remedy preparation, and routes of administration.
A preliminary survey was conducted to identify traditional health practitioners THPs involved in snakebite envenomation management within the study regions. The preliminary survey involved 799 individuals selected through convenience sampling in local markets. Ethnobotanical data were subsequently gathered from the identified practitioners via semi-structured interviews. The collected data were entered and analysed via an Excel spreadsheet. In addition to the sociodemographic characteristics of THPs, the relative frequency of citation (RFC) were also determined.
The results revealed that 90% of the THPs were male and that 76.67% illiterate. Over half of the THPs had more than two decades of experience. Diagnosis was mainly based on symptoms, with 60% relying on bite site examination. Most treatments involved plant-based powders (73.33%), typically applied subcutaneously through incisions. Roots were the most commonly used plant part in antivenom preparations (29%), while dried and calcined materials were the predominant form of medicinal plant preparation in the region. The study identified 29 plant species across 18 botanical families. Annona senegalensis Pers., Nauclea latifolia Sm., and Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn had the highest relative frequency of citation (RFC), each at 10%. Encouragingly, 63.33% of THPs had participated in training or awareness sessions with health centres. Additionally, 46.66% referred patients to hospitals when traditional treatments were insufficient.
These results highlight the therapeutic potential of local medicinal plants in the treatment of snakebite envenomation and support the need for strengthened collaboration between traditional and biomedical healthcare systems.
蛇咬伤中毒是布基纳法索面临的一项重大公共卫生挑战，在农村社区尤为突出。由于获得正规医疗服务的机会有限，再加上抗蛇毒血清治疗费用高昂，导致人们广泛依赖传统治疗师（THP）。因此，本研究旨在获取关于传统治疗师在蛇咬伤中毒管理中作用的实证数据，重点关注所使用的药用植物、治疗方法的制备以及给药途径。
进行了一项初步调查，以确定研究区域内参与蛇咬伤中毒管理的传统治疗师。初步调查涉及通过在当地市场进行便利抽样选取的799人。随后通过半结构化访谈从确定的治疗师那里收集民族植物学数据。收集的数据通过Excel电子表格录入和分析。除了传统治疗师的社会人口学特征外，还确定了引用相对频率（RFC）。
结果显示，90%的传统治疗师为男性，76.67%为文盲。超过一半的传统治疗师有二十多年的经验。诊断主要基于症状，60%的人依靠咬伤部位检查。大多数治疗涉及植物性粉末（73.33%），通常通过切口皮下给药。根是抗蛇毒血清制剂中最常用的植物部位（29%），而干燥和煅烧的材料是该地区药用植物制剂的主要形式。该研究确定了18个植物科的29种植物。塞内加尔番荔枝、阔叶乌檀和乳油木的引用相对频率最高（RFC），均为10%。令人鼓舞的是，63.33%的传统治疗师参加了与健康中心的培训或宣传活动。此外，46.66%的人在传统治疗不足时会将患者转诊至医院。
这些结果突出了当地药用植物在治疗蛇咬伤中毒方面的治疗潜力，并支持加强传统医疗保健系统与生物医学医疗保健系统之间合作的必要性。
