Utilization of medicinal plants by waluguru people in east uluguru mountains Tanzania
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Date
2006
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Abstract
A study was done to assess utilization of medicinal plants in Nyachilo village
situated in eastern Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Semi-structured questionnaires were
administered and informal discussions conducted to traditional healers and midwives. The
respondents were selected from Changa, Mselelo, Tanana, Mitamba, Kimeza, Mandani and
Kibundi subvillages. Within the subvillages random sampling was used to determine the
number of respondents to be interviewed. The study found that plant medicines utilized in
the area can be categorized into groups for treating convulsion, pain killers, rituals and
casting evil spirits, treating diseases, relieving respiratory complications, and treating skin
eruptions. Many medicinal plants are collected from the forests (37.3%) and farms
(37.3%). However, 16.4 % of the medicinal plants are not easily accessible. The
community perceives modern medical system far advanced in comparison with traditional
healing system. Both systems however, are useful in their sights. The study also revealed
that in most medicinal plants, leaves are used as medicines (31.7%), followed by roots
(29.6%), then barks (20.7%). The community proposed that in order to sustain
conservation of medicinal plants, the traditional healers should be trained on appropriate
harvesting and utilization techniques of the medicines. It is recommended that appropriate
agronomic techniques that will ensure cultivation of medicinal plants should be taught to
the community so as to guarantee sustainable utilization in future
Description
African Journal of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2006:3(4) 121-134.
Keywords
Medicinal plants, Traditional healers, Midwives, Diseases, Sustainable utilization