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Dr. Lawrence, Y.M.M. Kasaija, the director, Tooro Herbal Medicine and Research Centre (THEMEREC), Uganda, aptly captures one of the biggest challenges in African traditional practice: lack of authoritative information. ”Lack of upto date information on medicinal plants and natural medicine practice been lacking. 'We have been actively looking for sources of information on medicinal plants, especially on identification, cultivation, plant management, harvesting techniques and conservation.
It is therefore not suprising the high appreciation of PROTA’s handbook on medicinal plants has received since its publication in 2009. ”My prayer was answered after I attended a PROTA workshop on medicinal plants in Nairobi in 2009. I was given a copy of PROTA 11(1) which has been very helpful both at the local training sessions and also during the Course. Almost all the local plants that we use here can be found in this book. This has helped us alot and given us confidence in our work. Infact we have recommended it to SATNET and ANAMED as a useful resource material,'' states Kasaija.
THEMEREC is an indiginous organisation located in Fortportal, Uganda. It was started in 2000 with the aim of enhancing indigenous medicines and agriculture knowledge. One of its objectives is to give knowledge about natural medicines to locals.
In order to deliver on this objective, THEMEREC adopted a two pronged approach. First, short training involving training sessions, community based workshops for the elderly persons involved in herbal medicine trade and treatment. Secondly, a one year certificate course in natural medicine was introduced in 2009 targeting secondary school drop outs.
This certificate course covers various topics including:
1. Community based health care, and connections between life style and health
2. Preparation of natural medicines, including oils, tea, soap and jelly
3. Prevention and treatment of malaria and tropical diseases
4. Identification, cultivation and use of several medicinal plants
An impact assessment mission to THEMEREC revealed how the handbook has transformed the practice of tradditional medicine among its benefeciries and practitioners in the region. All respondents found PROTA information useful as it improved the way they practised herbal medicine..It was clear from the mission that while practitioners had been using many of the medicinal plants long before publication of the handbook, they have gone further to incorporate new additions from the handbook they feel are promising or of great interest to the locals, Such additions include for instance, Susage tree (Kigelia africana) used for treating ulcers, Cucurbita maxima used to treat snake bites and Aloe sp that was popular among the breast feeding mothers as it was used for weaning children, and its many medicinal uses in humans as well as animals and poultry.
PROTA information was important in value addition. Dr. Kasaija notes that because of PROTA 11(1), he now can treat hemroides by mixing castor (Ricinus communis) with Aloe sp. This is more effective that what he used to use before reading PROTA 11(1).
Dr. Kasaija adds ''We have improved on our packaging, the scope of ailments we treat is bigger thanks to knowledge aquired from PROTA 11(1). We have mobile clinic days where we treat over 1000 patients earning in excess of 300,000 UG Shs (>$120) per day. Our patients always look out for these days! All this is possible by using PROTA 11(1)''.
John, a herbalist working with THEMEREC, can now treat more ailments that was possible after attending the training and using PROTA 11(1). Mary, another member of THEMEREC who also attended the trainings learnt alot on storage and preservation of herbal medicines. Before she attended the trainings, her herbal medicines used to only stay for two weeks before they could become bad. Now, she increased shelf life of her herbal medicines to over two months due to the training.
In an effort to conserve medicinal plants and train locals on sustainability, natural medicines can not only be harvested from the wild, THEMEREC emphasises domestication of medicinal plants during its training sessions. THEMEREC has a medicinal garden with over 300 species where most of the training on cultivation, harvesting and indentification of medicinal plants takes place. Each trainee has more than 70 medicinal plants in their gardens. Mr. Leo Barozi a herbalist and trainee says he has Antemisia annua, Vernonia amygadalina, Draceana fragrans, Erythrina abyssinica, Ricinus communis, Senna dedemobotia, Oputia spp., Aloe spp., Zanthoxylum gillet, Tephrosia linearis on his farm as these treat the most common ailments suffered by the locals. PROTA 11(1) has been used heavily as it covers areas such as propagation, pest control, agronomy, harvesting as well as preparations.
THEMEREC has partnered with SATNET to train herbalist in natural medicine and PROTA 11(1) is central in these trainings. So far 5 trainings have been conducted in the districts of Kasese and Kinyankende where over 200 participants have attended these trainings in natural medicine practice.
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