Ethnobotanical Survey on Plants Used in the Treatment of Wounds by Traditional Health Practitioners in Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Chronic wounds constitute a real problem in the sphere of care and
its management requires the mobilization of enormous financial resources
from the patient in low- and middle-income countries. In Burkina Faso,
traditional medicine has remained the most popular health care system.
However, very little data exists on the plants used specifically in the
management of wounds by THP. This study aimed to contribute to the
knowledge of plants with healing activities used by traditional health
practitioners in Burkina Faso. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study
from March to December 2023 among traditional health practitioners
specializing in wound care in Burkina Faso through a direct interview
with a quiz. One hundred and twelve (112) traditional health practitioners
(THP) were interviewed, aged between 24 and 87 years, with an average
of 58.71 +/- 12.07 years. The number of years of practice in the profession
varied between 02 and 67 years, with an average of 25.49 ± 14.12 years.
A high concentration of THP wound specialists was recorded in the
regions of Hauts Bassins (21.43%), Center West (20.54%), and Center
South (14.29%). Men were the most represented (88.39%). Seventy (70)
plant species were identified and Lannea microcarpa Engl. & K. Krause
(11.41%), Khaya senegalensis (Desr) A. Juss. (7.61%), Tamarindus indica
L. (5.43%), and Ximenia americana L. (5.43%) were the most used species
for wound treatment. These results could be a database for research and
will make it possible to make Improved Traditional Medicines available to
populations at a lower cost.

Mots-clés

Plants; Healing; Traditional health practitioners; Burkina Faso