Attitudes of herbalists towards regulation and integration of herbal medicine into mainstream healthcare in Kenya: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The practise of herbal medicine in Kenya is not well-regulated to date. This has resulted in infiltration by quacks and other malpractices that pose serious health problems to the Kenyan public. Additionally, despite treating the same patients in most cases, there is no communication between the medical staff and herbal practitioners, owing to the popularity of herbal medicine. The study aimed to understand herbalists’ opinions on regulation and the integration of their practice into mainstream healthcare. A cross-sectional study design was adopted, and purposive sampling was used to select participants, who included officials from the herbalist’s associations from 21 Kenyan counties where herbal practice is still rife. They comprised the chairman, secretary, treasurer, and organizing secretary for each association. A total of 70 officials who were willing to participate in the study were interviewed. Targeted structured questionnaires were used to obtain their views on several issues, including regulation, disclosure, and integration into mainstay healthcare. Data analysis was implemented using STATA version 13. The findings indicate that the majority (51%) of the herbalists are in support of local and national regulation through the Ministry of Health. Additionally, 99% are willing to work together with conventional healthcare workers by way of referrals. They are also willing to disclose their herbal medications to healthcare professionals (47%) and research institutions (87%). We propose an evidence-based model whereby herbalists are regulated under the Ministry of Health in order to eradicate quacks and malpractice. The herbalists may communicate with doctors by way of referrals and benefit from training from health officials.