An ethnobotanical survey of plants used to manage HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi region, Namibia

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2010 Sep 11:6:25. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-6-25.

Abstract

Katima Mulilo has the highest burden of HIV/AIDS in Namibia. Due to several constraints of the antiretroviral therapy programme, HIV-infected persons still use ethnomedicines to manage AIDS-related opportunistic infections. Despite the reliance on plants to manage HIV/AIDS in Katima Mulilo, there have been no empirical studies to document the specific plant species used by traditional healers to treat AIDS-related opportunistic infections. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to record the various plant families, species, and plant parts used to manage different HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi region, Namibia. The results showed that a total of 71 plant species from 28 families, mostly the Combretaceae (14%), Anacardiaceae (8%), Mimosaceae (8%), and Ebanaceae (7%), were used to treat conditions such as herpes zoster, diarrhoea, coughing, malaria, meningitis, and tuberculosis. The most plant parts used were leaves (33%), bark (32%), and roots (28%) while the least used plant parts were fruits/seeds (4%). Further research is needed to isolate the plants' active chemical compounds and understand their modes of action.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy*
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Aged
  • Ethnobotany
  • Female
  • HIV
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Magnoliopsida*
  • Male
  • Medicine, African Traditional
  • Middle Aged
  • Namibia
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Plant Preparations / therapeutic use*
  • Plant Structures
  • Plants, Medicinal*

Substances

  • Plant Preparations