Indigenous Knowledge of Medicine for COVID-19 or Related Disease in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State: Phenomenological Design

Abstract

Purpose

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory viral infectious disease transmitted by respiratory and fomites. The incidence of this disease is growing exponentially and affects millions of the world population. Consequently, it has become most urgent public health risk. Thus, the intention of this research is searching indigenous knowledge on COVID-19 and related infectious disease prevention and mitigation mechanisms which were not scientifically known. Therefore, this study targeted to explore local traditional knowledge of (COVID-19) or related diseases in the study area.

Methods

Phenomenological design was used to explore traditional knowledge of medicine. The source populations were all elder peoples, who were known for their traditional medicine. The individuals were purposively selected from source population by using snowball sampling technique. Since study was qualitative method, the sample size was determined by the level of saturation of information as result 40 study participants were interviewed and recorded their audio using tape recorder. Then, data were analyzed using a thematic analysis with a combination of inductive and deductive methods.

Results

The study reveals that coronavirus like disease was appeared past times. Such diseases were called “Alwoba” or “Marya” which is named by the local language and it has similar signs and symptoms with coronavirus disease. The key informants reported that traditional medicines were available that cured those diseases. This study infers there had been COVID-19 related diseases about 100 years back because those diseases had a similar symptoms and ways of transmission with COVID-19. They use different types of traditional medicines for those diseases which have been inherited to generations and cured them.

Conclusion

This evidence explored that the existence of traditional medicine for COVID-19 related diseases. Hence, this study strongly suggested that to undertake experimental research for medical approval on the available traditional medicine.

Keywords:

• Covid-19
• indigenous
• knowledge

Abbreviations

BGRS, Benishangul Gumuz Regional State; COVID – 19, Coronavirus disease 19; FABGR, Fact About Benishangul Gumuz Region; FMOH, Federal Ministry of Health; MERS-CoV, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome virus; SARSCoV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus; UNDP, United Nation Development Program; WHO, World Health Organization.

Data Sharing Statement

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki regarding ethical and consent concerns. The research informants were informed about over all objectives of the study and the interview was conducted after they agreed to participate.

Before participant consent, this study was evaluated and approved by a review board of Assosa university on date of 06/05/2019 with protocol number 5451/ASU/04/12. Then, Regional Health Bureau provided formal approval letters to their respective local administrative offices. Before endorsing actual data collection, written informed consent as well as verbal consent were obtained from each study participant. Finally, we want to assure that participants were well informed about the legality of the research and their consent was acquired. The consent form is attached as Supplementary Material.

Acknowledgments

We are delighted to acknowledge Assosa University for funding this research work and follow up on all processes of the research work. Furthermore, our appreciation goes to Benishangul Gumuz Regional State Health Bureau, respective town and district health office, data collectors, supervisors and study participants for the devotion of their time in providing information and support.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the study such that conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted and accountable for all aspects of the study.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work.

Additional information

Funding

The source of funds for this research was Assosa University. The university evaluated the research proposal by the established research committees and after incorporation of the comments forwarded by the committee, the fund was released for the study. During data collection, the university also supervised the procedure. Finally, the interpreted data and the final research report were presented officially for all stakeholders such as government bodies, nongovernmental organizations, and academicians.