IJEDST 2017 Volume 5 Issue 2
International Journal of Education, Development, Society and Technology (IJEDST) ISSN: 2321 – 7537
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Public perception to herbal therapy for the management of malaria in rural communities of Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. LeBari Barine Gboeloh. IJEDST (2017), 5(2):7-13
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Title:
Public perception to herbal therapy for the management of malaria in rural communities of Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors & Affiliation:
LeBari Barine Gboeloh
Department of Biology, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract:
Herbal therapy involves the use of naturally occurring plant parts to treat ailments. It is an integral part of traditional medicine in Africa. Public perception to herbal therapy for the management of malaria in rural communities of Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State was examined. A cross sectional survey technique was used and out of 500 questionnaires distributed, only 316 (63.2%) was returned. The results indicated that 85.4% (P<0.05) of the respondents have used herbs as medicine, of which 98.7% (P<0.05) used it to treat malaria, 41.8% agreed to the effectiveness of herbs for the treatment of malaria and only 0.31% claimed it is not effective. Majority (78.2%) agreed to the regular availability and affordability of herbal medicine and 73.7% (P<0.05) claimed that it is safe to use herbs for malaria treatment. Although 53.2% of respondents claimed to get information about herbal medicine from family members, 94.9% and 95.3% advocated for its regulation and integration into the primary healthcare system respectively. Although the study revealed good knowledge of herbal therapy in the study area, there is need to educate the people on proper use of herbal therapy especially the safety. They should also be educated on appropriate home management strategy for malaria since majority engages in self-treatment.
Key Words: Perception, Herbal Therapy, Malaria, Rural communities, Khana.