Traditional medicines use in treatment of skin diseases among patients attending dermatology clinic at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Objective: To determine prevalence, types of skin diseases treated and factors associated with Traditional medicine use among patients with skin diseases.
Design: The study was a hospital based prospective cross-sectional study. 226 patients of skin diseases who attended clinic at BMC were interview by using self-administered questionnaire to determine prevalence, types of skin diseases treated and factors associated with traditional medicine use among patients with skin diseases. Types of skin diseases were obtained from patients’ prescriptions after being seen by dermatologist.
Results: A total of 37.4% of 206 participants had used TM before coming to the hospital among users, males were are 33.7% and females are 66.3%. The most common diseases treated by TM were Atopic dermatitis, tinea capitis and allergic contact dermatitis which are 35.06%, 9.09% and 11.69% respectively of all TM users. Majority of patients used TM due to lack of awareness, influence and belief and easy availability and use TM.
Conclusion: This study that TM medicines are highly used to treat different of skin diseases and they are used by many people regardless of outcomes. Patients with recurrent skin problems highly use TM and this is lack awareness, influence and easy availability unlike modern medicine.