ISSN 2169-303X
International Journal of Medicinal Plant Research Vol. 1 (1), pp. 004-011, June, 2012. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Ethnomedicinal study of plants used to manage HIV/AIDS-related disease conditions in the Ohangwena region, Namibia
Marius Hedimbi* and Kazhila C. Chinsembu
University of Namibia, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia.
*Corresponding author’s Email: [email protected]
Received April 01, 2012; Accepted June 07, 2012
Abstract
A survey of plants used to manage AIDS-related conditions can provide important leads and quicken the search for novel anti-HIV compounds. An ethnobotanical survey for plants used to treat disease conditions related to HIV/AIDS was conducted in several villages in Ohangwena region, northern Namibia. The study found a total of 34 plants belonging to 19 different families that were used to manage various opportunistic infections related to HIV/AIDS. Most of the plants were from the Fabaceae family (24%), followed by Combretaceae (9%), and Convolvulcaeae, Molluginaceae, and Olacaceae with 6% each. A total of 19 opportunistic disease conditions were treated with the plants. Most of the plants were used to manage gonorrhea (26%), coughing (24%), syphilis (18%), diarrhea (9%), headache (9%), eczema (6%), and wounds (6%). The most used plant parts were leaves (47%), bark (26%), whole plant, root, and stems (21%), and fruits (4%). The study showed rich knowledge of medicinal plant use for AIDS-related conditions in the Ohangwena region, Namibia. Destructive harvesting of plants should be prevented.
Key words: HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections, medicinal plants, Namibia, indigenous knowledge holders.