Knowledge and Skill Assessment of Congolese Traditional Healers on Healthy and Diseased Kidney

Auteur(s): Kayembe Sungula Jean
Nom de la revue/Journal: EC CLINICAL AND MEDICAL CASE REPORTS
Volume: 3
Numéro: 10
Année: 2020
pages: 9 - 18

Résumé

Background: Kidney disease is now recognized as a public health problem worldwide, particularly in Africa [1] with the increasing prevalence of kidney disease observed in African countries, it is likely that it has the share of medicinal plants. Cultural and economic reasons explain the use of traditional healers. Objectives: This study assessed the knowledge and the skill of traditional healers concerning the healthy and diseased kidney. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 2654 traditional healers were enlisted from Tshangu, Mont Amba, Funa and Lukunga, district of Kinshasa, from August 2013 to March 2014. An ad hoc questionnaire was used. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with healer’s knowledge and skill about the healthy and diseased kidney. Results: The majority of the participants have recognized the kidneys as an anatomical organ and could translate it in Congolese languages; a small number could localize it in the human body and able to determine its functions. Almost half of them are unaware of the presence of kidneys in women. Back pain, miction disturbances, infertility, abdominal pain have been reported as a symptom of kidney disease. Revelation, symptoms of the disease, the use of traditional equipment, light microscope, laboratory and imagery reports, saliva and traditional rituals the diagnostic means used Traditional healers have used aloe vera and Zingiber more often to treat renal diseases. High level of education of traditional healers emerged as the sole factor independently associated to the knowledge of kidney disease. Conclusion: The traditional healers have limited knowledge of the healthy and diseased kidney. The holistic approach involving education program, fundamental research, regulation of the traditional practice and its integration in the organized health system will ultimately reduce the global burden of nephrotoxicity induced by medicinal plants.