Traditional medicinal animal use by Xhosa and Sotho communities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of animals and animal-derived materials in traditional medicine constitutes an important part of the belief systems of indigenous African cultures. It is believed to be rapidly expanding in South Africa, where traditional healers are estimated to outnumber western doctors by 2000:1 in some areas, with an overall clientele consisting of 60-80% of South African citizens. Despite concerns about the impact of the trade in traditional medicine on biodiversity, there has been only limited research on this topic in South Africa.

Methods

Traditional Xhosa and Sotho healers operating from impoverished, rural communities in the Boland Region of the Western Cape Province were consulted to provide a comprehensive inventory of the number and frequency of animals used a

SUBMITTER: Nieman WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6617652 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature