Table 4 Folk and popular medicines for commonly recognized illnesses (the top nine problems from the free-listing exercise)
Health problem | Equivalent english term | Perceived causes | Traditional care or popular medicine |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Ndani ya chitovu | Stomachache | occurs in a process of healing of umbilical cord, constipation, diarrhea | Mihaso (Mzaraf), “Gripe water”, “Bonnisan”, “Dentinox” |
2. Mafuwa | “Flue (bad cold)”, Chest cold | Coldness | “Piriton syrup”, “Septrin”, “Panadol syrup” |
3. Kukohola | Coughing | coldness, pregnant mother carrying heavy load | Herbs, “Piriton syrup”, “Septrin”, “Pandol syrup” for vomiting perceived to be accompanied by fever |
4. Kuhaphika | Vomiting | fever, excessive breast-milk | “Piriton syrup”, “Septrin”, “Pandol syrup” for vomiting perceived by fever |
5. Mwilimoto/homa | Fever, High temperature, “homa” could be malaria | Coldness | “Piriton syrup”, “Septrin”, “Panadol syrup” |
6. Kuharisha | Diarrhea | Mismatching of different types of foods, fever, erupting tooth, eye contact with eagle, husband having an affair with other women | Amulet around the baby’s waist by traditional healer (prevention), herb and salt, traditional healer, home mad ORS |
7. Kulumwa ni masto | Sore eye | dust, outbreak | Herbs, wipe with warm water + salt, sea water, drop of breast-milk, tea leaves |
8. Kulumwa ni masikiro | Sore ear | Drips of water in the ears during bath | Herb, coconut oil, Gun’s oil, Sheep’s oil, chicken oil |
9. Kuodzala ndani ( Dzongo ) | Stomachache, Swelling of stomachache | Dzongo (evil eye), baby swallowing breast-milk simultaneously the person who sees the baby swallowing ones saliva | Prevent a baby from being seen or commented nice things by the others, traditional healer, color between eyebrows |