Traditional medicine practices among community members with diabetes mellitus in Northern Tanzania: an ethnomedical survey

Abstract

BackgroundDiabetes is a growing burden in sub-Saharan Africa where traditional medicines (TMs) remain a primary form of healthcare in many settings. In Tanzania, TMs are frequently used to treat non-communicable diseases, yet little is known about TM practices for non-communicable diseases like diabetes.MethodsBetween December 2013 and June 2014, we assessed TM practices, including types, frequencies, reasons, and modes, among randomly selected community members. To further characterize TMs relevant for the local treatment of diabetes, we also conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with key informants.ResultsWe enrolled 481 adults of whom 45 (9.4 %) had diabetes. The prevalence of TM use among individuals with diabetes was 77.1 % (95 % CI 58.5–89.0 %), and the prevalence of using TMs and biomedicines concurrently was 37.6 % (95 % CI 20.5–58.4 %). Many were using TMs specifically to treat diabetes (40.3 %; 95 % CI 20.5–63.9), and individuals with diabetes reported seeking healthcare from traditional healers, elders, family, friends, and herbal vendors. We identified several plant-based TMs used toward diabetes care: Moringa oleifera, Cymbopogon citrullus, Hagenia abyssinica, Aloe vera, Clausena anisata, Cajanus cajan, Artimisia afra, and Persea americana.ConclusionsTMs were commonly used for diabetes care in northern Tanzania. Individuals with diabetes sought healthcare advice from many sources, and several individuals used TMs and biomedicines together. The TMs commonly used by individuals with diabetes in northern Tanzania have a wide range of effects, and understanding them will more effectively shape biomedical practitices and public health policies that are patient-centered and sensitive to TM preferences.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1262-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The coexistence of traditional medicine and biomedicine: A study with local health experts in two Brazilian regions

“…This is a phenomenon observed in other communities of Brazil [5] and of the world [47, 48] and there is a need to give attention to the possible consequences of drug interaction.…”

Traditional, complementary and alternative medicine use in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

“…Only one of the seven studies was drawn from a large sample of patients with hypertension (n=500) and the reported prevalence in this case was 24%. 106 TCAM product use by patients with diabetes varied across the four identified studies drawn from smaller samples, with a higher rate reported in Tanzania (77.1%) 107 compared with Nigeria (46%), 43 Guinea (33%) 108 and Kenya (12.4%). 109 With regard to cancer, the available literature reports a high use of TCAM among patients with cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria: 65% 34 ; Ethiopia: 79% 110 ; Ghana: 73.5% 56 ), although one Nigerian study did report a lower rate of use specifically for TCAM services.…”

Effect of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf) tea in a type 2 diabetes rat model

“…For several decades, lemongrass has been reported to be extensively used for a number of folkloric, cosmetic, and nutritional purposes. In Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Tanzania, lemongrass tea (LGT) is consumed for the treatment of DM and other related disorders such as hypertension and obesity [9][10][11][12]. Major active ingredients of LGT were phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids of which the contents were reported to be higher compared to cold water extract [13].…”