Issue

Vol. 10 No. 6 (2021)

Plants Used by Nyamwezi Traditional Health Practitioners To Remedy Sexually Transmitted Infections in Sikonge, Tanzania

https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v10i6.120
kacholi
mvungi
Dar es Salaam University College of Education University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Corresponding Author(s) : kacholi

david.kacholi@duce.ac.tz

Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), Vol. 10 No. 6 (2021)

Abstract

This study aims to document medicinal plants used by Nyamwezi traditional health
practitioners (NTHPs) in managing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Sikonge
District. The data on medicinal plants were collected using a semi-structured
questionnaire. A total of 23 NTHPs were interviewed. The findings revealed that 28
medicinal plants, belonging to 16 families and 25 genera, are used for the management
of STIs in Sikonge. Most species belonged to family Fabaceae (17.9%), Apocynaceae,
Combretaceae and Euphorbiaceae (10.7% each), and Olacaceae and Rutaceae (7.1% each).
Out of the recorded plants, 45.7% are used to manage gonorrhoea, 25.7% syphilis, 17.1%
vaginal candidiasis, 8.6% HIV/AIDS related infections and 2.9% chlamydia. Cassia abbreviata
(47.8%), Ximenia caffra (39.1%) and Abrus precatorius (34.8%) were plants with high citation
index. Tree (50.0%) and root (70.9%) were the most utilized growth form and plant part,
respectively. 85.7% of the species were collected from the wild. Decoction (73.3%) and oral
(86.2%) were the most used methods of preparation and administration of remedies,
respectively. These study findings can serve as resource for the probe of bioactive
components, which can lead to the discovery of contemporary drugs. Thus, the study
recommends for pharmacological investigations of the reported plants, provision of
awareness to NTHPs on sustainable harvest and conservation of the plants, and
mentorship to the younger generation in an effort to preserve the indigenous knowledge.
 

Keywords

ethnomedicine, herbal medicine, sexually transmitted infections, Sikonge, traditional healers
Plants Used by Nyamwezi Traditional Health Practitioners To Remedy Sexually Transmitted Infections in Sikonge, Tanzania. (2022). Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), 10(6). https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v10i6.120
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Plants Used by Nyamwezi Traditional Health Practitioners To Remedy Sexually Transmitted Infections in Sikonge, Tanzania. (2022). Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), 10(6). https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v10i6.120
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