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Epidemiology of herbal drugs use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Teferi Gedif1, Heinz-Jurgen Hahn
1Institute of Pharmacoepidemiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, W-Langenbeck Strasse 4, D-06120, Halle, Germany. gedif66@yahoo.com
Objective:
To study the utilization patterns of herbal drug use in urban Ethiopia.
Methods:
A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia, using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to 600 heads of households, largely mothers, selected using a multi-stage systematic random sampling technique, where the final sampling units were households.
Results:
The prevalence of herbal drugs use was found to be 37%. The main reasons given for choosing herbal medicine as the first line medication option were: dissatisfaction with the services of modern health institutions due to their time consuming nature, cost considerations and perceived efficacy.
Conclusion:
This study showed that in spite of the geographic accessibility of modern health institutions in urban areas, the use of traditional medicine, particularly herbal drugs, remains a major form of health care option. Hence health planners should give appropriate consideration to this sector.