Ethnopharmacological survey on medicinal plants utilization in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants utilized in Freetown Sierra Leone in the management and treatment of diseases. Methods The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive study and face-to-face interviews with a pre-checklist of 20 Traditional Herbal Medicine Practitioners in Freetown. The survey included socio-segment information, data on the kinds of herbal medication, their constituents, wellsprings of the plants, diseases managed and details on preparation. Twenty traditional medicine practitioners consented to this study. Key findings The results showed that 15 (75%) were men and 5 (25%) were women, while all of them are above the age of 30 years. Some of the respondents have some level of formal education, ranging from twelve (12) with primary/secondary education to three (3) with tertiary education while five (5) do not have any formal education at all. Thirty percent practice herbal medicine as a family trade (inherited), 10% got involved in it through training, or both, while 10% claimed the knowledge as a natural gift. Traditional Herbal Medicine Practitioners (THMPs) in the study area updated their knowledge of medical practice through a wide range of choices such as by intuition (70%), participation at health talks or meetings (20%), while 10% of them adopted various forms of a combination of these and other choices. However, there was the problem of plant misidentification with some practitioners. According to our data, Freetown, Sierra Leone has a rich wellspring of restorative plants and an enormous part of the populace actually depends on customary plant drugs which are plentifully and promptly accessible. Conclusions Traditional Herbal Medicine Practitioners (THMPs) in this research updated their knowledge of medical practice through intuition, participation at health talks or meetings and also via various forms of a combination of these and other choices. The involvement of certified Plant Taxonomists is important, in order to avoid the consequences which may arise through misidentification.