ORGANISATION OUEST AFRICAINE DE LA SANTE BOBO-DIOULASSO (BURKINA FASO) Tel. (226) 20 97 57 75/Fax (226) 20 97 57 72 E-mail : [email protected] - Site web: www.wahooas.org Herbal Treatment of Common Diseases in West Africa Bobo-Dioulasso, Décembre 2011. 1 Contents Page Introduction .............................................................................................................................5 Sickle cell anaemia .................................................................................................................. 6 HIV/AIDS ................................................................................................................................. 9 Tuberculosis ..........................................................................................................................13 Malaria ..................................................................................................................................14 Diabetes ................................................................................................................................16 Arterial hypertension ............................................................................................................. 19 Asthma ..................................................................................................................................21 Azoospermia .........................................................................................................................23 Gallstones .............................................................................................................................24 Kidney stones ........................................................................................................................26 Liver cirrhosis ........................................................................................................................28 Erectile dysfunction ............................................................................................................... 30 Gonorrhoea ............................................................................................................................32 Haemorrhoids ........................................................................................................................34 Hepatitis ................................................................................................................................36 Benign prostatic hyperplasia ................................................................................................. 38 Urinary tract infections ........................................................................................................... 40 Sexually transmitted infections .............................................................................................. 43 Male infertility-oligospermia .................................................................................................... 44 Otitis media ...........................................................................................................................46 Allergic rhinitis ........................................................................................................................ 48 Sinusitis ................................................................................................................................. 50 Breast cancer ........................................................................................................................ 52 Prostate cancer .....................................................................................................................54 Leukaemia .............................................................................................................................56 Diarrhoea ..............................................................................................................................58 Peptic ulcer disease .............................................................................................................. 60 Insomnia ................................................................................................................................62 Depression ............................................................................................................................64 Schizophrenia .......................................................................................................................66 Alcoholism .............................................................................................................................68 Anxiety disorders ...................................................................................................................70 Boils ......................................................................................................................................72 Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease ....................................................................................... 73 Gingivitis and stomatitis .......................................................................................................... 75 Oral thrush ............................................................................................................................76 Malnutrition .............................................................................................................................78 Stroke ....................................................................................................................................80 Eczema (Dermatitis) .............................................................................................................. 82 Rheumatoid arthritis ............................................................................................................... 84 Osteoarthritis .........................................................................................................................85 Liver cancer ...........................................................................................................................86 2 Foreword The manner in which herbal medicines are used varies widely among populations worldwide. Whilst some people use herbal medicines alone (often as an alternative to a conventional medical treatment), others used them in combination with other alternative therapies, or along with conventional medical therapies. Given the increasing popularity of herbal medicine globally, it is imperative that all healthcare professionals, health training and research institutions as well as all other stakeholders have some basic knowledge of the most common herbs patients often use for disease treatment. This is important for two main reasons. Firstly, it is important for health personnel to have an understanding of all the health services their patients may be accessing. Secondly, since health personnel (especially doctors, nurses and pharmacists) are often used by patients to access information on all health and health-related issues, knowledge of the main indications and actions of these herbs will enable them to advise their patients appropriately. In view of this, the WHO/AFRO developed some generic training modules, guidelines and model protocols, with the aim of deepening understanding of both Traditional Medicine Practitioners and Conventional Medical Practitioners in key aspects of traditional medicine, especially herbal medicine. These tools included a training module on primary health care and malaria for conventional health practitioners and traditional health practitioners; and model protocols for priority diseases such as HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anaemia, diabetes and hypertension. PROMETRA International has also added to this repertoire of training tools and protocols. Using these materials, some institutions in Ghana, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Guinea and Nigeria have already conducted systematic research on traditional medicines used for the management of diseases such as malaria, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia among others. However, to date there appears to be no reference document of African origin that provides basic information on the herbal treatment of the most common diseases that affect the populations. The development of this booklet is a modest attempt by the West African Health Organisation to address this need. Among other things, the booklet will serve as a useful source of information on the herbal treatment of these diseases for doctors, pharmacists, Traditional Medicine Practitioners, medical herbalists and students of African Traditional Medicine. Dr Johanna Austin Benjamin Director, Department of Primary Healthcare and Disease Contol 3 Preface Herbal medicines are assuming greater importance in the primary health care of many countries around the world, with an attendant increase in international trade. For example, between 2003-2004 annual revenues in Western Europe reached US$ 5 billion, whilst in China, sales of products totaled US$ 14 billion in 2005. Revenue from herbal medicines in Brazil amounted to US$ 160 million in 2007. Herbs are used to treat a wide variety of both acute and chronic conditions such as simple bruises, skin disorders, fever, malaria, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia, sexual weakness, piles, and even for combating rapid development of AIDS in People Living With HIV. Apart from being used directly as therapeutic agents, medicinal plants are also important for pharmacological