Indigenous Plants Used for Primary Healthcare by the Members of a Rural Community in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Introduction

Traditional medicine was the dominant medical system for millions of people in Africa prior the arrival of the Europeans who introduced science-based medicine, which was a noticeable turning point in the history of this tradition and culture (Abdulla, 2011). The suggestion to use traditional medicine to meet primary health care needs goes back to 1978 when the World Health Assembly (WHA) drew attention on the potential use of traditional medicine by urging member states to utilize its practices to meet primary health care needs (The World Health Organization [WHO], 1986). This was reinforced during the Alma Ata Conference of 1978 (WHO,1986) where it was recommended that governments should give priority to the full utilization of human resources by defining the role, supportive skills and attitudes required for each category of health workers according to the functions that needed to be carried out to ensure effective primary health care. It was further recommended that a team composing the medical health team, community members, traditional medical practitioners and traditional birth attendants be constituted for primary health care delivery (WHO, 2004).

The Alma Ata Declaration mandated the member states to define the role that traditional health practitioners and birth attendants could play as members of the primary health care team. It became apparent that the goal of Health for All by the year 2000 would never be achieved unless all existing community resources, including traditional health practitioners, are mobilized and used more effectively in community health initiatives. Therefore, the WHO launched Traditional Medicine Strategy in the year 2000 (WHO, 2002). The strategy was designed to assist countries to develop national policies on the evaluation of traditional medical practice for the possibility of its integration into the National Health Plans. For Helman (2000) traditional medicine, it is believed, could provide a sound basis for cheaper, accessible, and reliable health care delivery because it is culture-bound. A Traditional Medicine Policy was developed for the regulatory and legal mechanisms regarding the promotion and maintenance of good practice to ensure the authenticity, safety, and efficacy of traditional medicines (WHO, 2005). The World Health Organization supported the development of traditional medicine by facilitating regional information exchange, and supported efforts to ensure product safety, and availability of trained, qualified human resources. However, the member states explored the possibility for developing their well-known and tested herbal medicines for use in primary health care (WHO,2005). Therefore, primary health care devolved on the herbalist, traditional midwife and other traditional health practitioners. Ndeta et al.(2013) attest that traditional health practitioners remained true community health care workers in their societies and invariably have the confidence of their community members, and whatever their level of skills, they understand the real health needs of their communities. Traditional health practitioners became important allies in primary health care because they are knowledgeable about the types of diseases that attack their community members, and are well known health care providers offering holistic treatment. Traditional medicine was regarded as the most common type of health care throughout the world, which is developed as an essential component of primary health care (WHO,2005).