The contributions of information management in promoting indigenous medicine use to enhance public healthcare systems

Abstract

This paper debates the contributions of an efficient information management in promoting the use of indigenous plants and ethnomedicinal treatment that is capable of preventing diseases as alternative ways to improve public healthcare systems deliveries. Africa is rich in ethnopharmacological products, but lack of clinical information on its effectiveness, dosage, and success rate in treatments is hindering its use to promote public healthcare deliveries. There are products for curing diabetes, blood poising, malaria, bacteria and fungi infections but these products are not known to most people because of lack of sufficient information dissemination of the products. The paper used bibliometrics survey techniques, observation through interactions with vendors, and uses of medicinal plants to gather data. Findings showed increase in academic publications of uses of indigenous plants, but this information is not available to most people. There is no accessible information to establish herbal products quality and efficacies of the products and most vendors do not have sufficient information to educate the users. Some orthodox health workers are willing to provide information on the use of herbal products with conventional medical treatments. The challenges identified include the following: Lack of regulatory body to inspect and test the efficacies of the products, information on dosage administration is not available. There is lack of access to information on products and ailment classification, no online sources to get clinical trial data and information on products success rate is not available to the public. The paper recommends that government must provide screening facilities to eliminate pathogens and toxic substances in plants, and help in publishing information on products that are effective and safe for use.