Use of Toxic Herbal Medicine during Pregnancy in Zanzibar: A case study of Kivunge District Hospital

Abstract

Background There are limited data on the extent of women's use of herbal medicines during pregnancy, despite the fact that knowledge of the possible benefits or harms of many of these products is meager, particularly with respect to their use in pregnancy. The aim of the study is to identify the current prevalence and determinants of Herbal Medicine use during pregnancy in North A District Zanzibar. Methods Consecutive pregnant women were approached in Kivunge District Hospital seeking for antenatal care services with the age of 15 up to 49 years. Face to face interview was conducted in Swahili language. Data collected included demographic information, knowledge on herbal use, culture beliefs and accessibility of herbal during pregnancy. Data processed and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 21. Results It was observed that majority of the respondents, more than two-third of respondents (61.4%) used herbal medicine. The commonest herbal medicines used by the participants of this study were ‘Mpamba wake’ (63%) and ‘mafusho’ (43%). The use of toxic herbal medicine in the study area associated with inadequate knowledge on the effect of herbal medicine, accessibility and affordability of herbal medicines. Culture beliefs also had large influence on herbal use in this study. Conclusion The use of toxic herbal medicine in pregnancy is likely to be relatively high but respondents appear to be ignorant of its potential toxicities. It is very crucial to evaluate the safety, efficacy and quality of herbal medicines and their products through randomized clinical trial studies. Public awareness about safe use of herbal medicines may be necessary as a means of minimizing the potential adverse effects of herbal medicine and eventually improving maternal and child health.