Plants used for treatment of malaria in communities around the Bobiri forest reserve in Ghana

Abstract

The study collected and analyzed information on the diversity of plants used for the treatment of malaria in communities living near the Bobiri Forest Reserve in Ghana, using a structured questionnaire to interview 150 individuals. Forty-two plant species belonging to 27 families were identified as being used locally in treating malaria. The plant leaves were the most commonly used plant part, and the majority (92.9%) of the medicinal preparations were decoctions obtained by boiling the plant parts. About 75% of the people collected plants for treatment of malaria from their immediate surroundings (within 100 m of their homes), whereas the others were collected in the wild. Respondents indicated as major threats to the medicinal species of plants: drought (49.3%) followed by farming (15.7%), over-harvesting (13%), and brush fires (11%). The results of the study suggest a need for conservation and sustainable harvesting strategies. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.