Abstract
The use and value of traditional plants and medicines is only slowly being investigated by Western medical organizations. A survey of 492 members of support groups and health-care clinics in Kasese district, Uganda was undertaken in a group setting: 23 groups with a mean size of 21, age range 4-53, which represented 0.1% of the population, covering nine of the 20 sub-counties, both in the native languages and in English, using photographs and specimens of 12 plants. Most admitted to using plants at some time 81% for self, 77% for their children; 45% admitted to using traditional healers as a source for information about health. Most plants were home grown or available locally. Medicinal plants were used for respiratory infections, fever, malaria and diarrhoea/vomiting. HIV/AIDS was rarely treated with medicinal plants.
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