| dc.description.abstract | Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) play a vital role in healthcare delivery across
Africa, including Kenya. They frequently use herbal remedies to address various ailments,
including cancer. However, this practice raises global public health concerns due to the lack
of adherence to established policies and guidelines, which poses risks to users. In low
income countries like Kenya, where conventional cancer treatments are often prohibitively
expensive, many patients turn to herbal remedies. This situation underscores the need for
standardization and monitoring of traditional medicine practices to mitigate risks associated
with contamination, improper dosage, and misdiagnosis. Additionally, there is a significant
gap in the systematic documentation and scientific validation of these practices. This study
aimed to explore the ethnobotanical knowledge on practices of TMPs in Kenya regarding
herbal medicine for cancer treatment. The specific objectives were to: Assess the medicinal
plants used by TMPs, assess the Practice TMPs' of cancer treatment in usage of herbal
medicines and Determine TMPs' compliance with WHO guidelines for cancer treatment that
is the WHO guidelines of guidelines for registration of traditional medicines in the who African
region policy 2004-2007. A cross-sectional study design, guided by the plant use value theory,
was employed. Purposive and snowballing sampling was used to get counties and TMPs
respectively, 53 TMPs from five counties were selected in proportion to the county TMP
populations. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and observation
check list, ethical approval was attained through MMUST, DPS, ISERC and NACOSTI.
Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 28, including descriptive statistics,
means, standard deviations, figures, and proportions, presented through graphs and tables.
The study identified 58 unique plants from 14 families of which Rutaceae family was the
especial high use culturally. Roots were the most commonly used plant parts (20.6%) for
cancer management. Decoctions were the primary preparation method (35%), while
poultices were the least used (14.7%). Oral administration was the predominant method.
TMPs most frequently treated prostate and throat cancers (20.7%), followed by breast
cancer (17.2%). Most new patients (76.9%) were referred by others, with minimal use of
modern advertising methods such as social media. Women sought TMP services more than
men. Most practitioners (92.3%) planned to pass their knowledge to their descendants.
However, compliance with WHO guidelines was low, at only 18.9%. The study highlights
the extensive use of herbal remedies by TMPs in Kenya but also reveals significant issues in
practice. There is minimal formal supervision and monitoring of traditional medicine
practices, and most TMPs lack formal training, relying instead on inherited knowledge.
Awareness and compliance to WHO guidelines are notably low. | en_US |
