Home-based treatment of childhood diseases among the Bapedi community in South Africa: A medical ethnobotanical enquiry

Abstract

The use of indigenous medicinal plants for children's overall health and wellness remains understudied and poorly explored, especially in  South Africa. This study describes parents’ and caregivers’ knowledge of indigenous medicinal plants used to manage childhood  diseases and promote overall well-being. The study focuses specifically on four Bapedi communities located in the Limpopo Province of  South Africa. The study’s data were based on ethnobotanical research conducted from 2017 to 2019, which focused on the use of  medicinal herbs for primary healthcare purposes. Analysis of data obtained from semi-structured interviews with 28 parents and  caregivers reports nine types of childhood diseases treated at the household level through the administration of plant-based medicines  derived from 26 indigenous plant species belonging to 20 botanical families. The most reported childhood diseases are respiratory and  gastrointestinal disorders, measles, chickenpox, sore eyes, rash, and conditions such as physical growth impairment, lekone (no English  name), and fontanelle. The use of indigenous plant-derived medicines in primary healthcare warrants scientific validation and testing to  explore the presence of new chemicals that may hold pharmaceutical and pharmacological significance in this domain.