Medicinal Plants in Uganda and Their Traditional Uses

Important: this page describes how plants are traditionally used, according to research surveys. It is not medical advice and does not claim that any plant cures any disease. For malaria, HIV, TB and other serious illness, get tested and treated at a health facility.

Where this information comes from

Ethnobotanists interview healers, herbal collectors and villagers about which plants they use and for what. Two Ugandan surveys we rely on here are:

• Tugume and colleagues (2016), communities around Mabira Central Forest Reserve, central Uganda;
• Ssegawa and Kasenene (2007), plants for malaria in southern Uganda.

Commonly used plants

Mululuuza (Vernonia amygdalina, bitter leaf)

Around Mabira, mululuza was the most preferred plant for treating malaria; every person who mentioned it named malaria as its use. Its leaves and roots were also used for convulsions and stomach ache. In southern Uganda it was the second most popular malaria remedy, and some people add sugar to the bitter infusion. Safety: the Mabira researchers warn that it can induce labour and cause miscarriage, so pregnant women should avoid it.

Warburgia ugandensis (East African greenheart)

The bark is traditionally used for flu and cough. In southern Uganda 28.8% of respondents ranked it as a key malaria plant. The tree has become rare in some forests because its bark is over-harvested, so conservation matters.

Aloe (kigagi)

Around Mabira, aloe leaves were boiled for stomach ache and malaria. Safety: the US National Institutes of Health warns that aloe latex taken by mouth can cause cramps and diarrhoea, that oral aloe leaf extracts have been linked to cases of acute hepatitis, and that oral aloe may be unsafe in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Gel on the skin is generally well tolerated, though some people get a rash.

Moringa (muringa, Moringa oleifera)

Around Mabira, pounded moringa leaves were mixed with petroleum jelly and rubbed on aching joints. Moringa is also widely eaten as a leafy vegetable.

Prunus africana (ngwabuzito)

Leaves and bark are traditionally used for fainting and prostate problems. Like Warburgia, it is harvested for its bark, which can damage wild trees.

Other plants in the Mabira survey

• Albizia coriaria (mugavu): bark for skin rash and cough in children.
• Bidens pilosa (ssere): crushed leaves tied on wounds to stop bleeding.
• Hoslundia opposita (kamunye): leaves for several uses, including malaria and fresh cuts.

Artemisia

Artemisia annua is the plant from which the malaria medicine artemisinin is made. But WHO “does not support the promotion or use of Artemisia plant material in any form for the prevention or treatment of malaria”. Herbal Artemisia contains varying and often too little active ingredient to kill all parasites, and its use could speed up drug resistance. Use proper malaria medicines (ACTs) after a test.

Safety rules for herbal remedies

• Dose: plants vary in strength by season, place and preparation. “Natural” does not mean safe in any amount.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: some plants, such as mululuuza, can harm a pregnancy. Ask a health worker before using any herb.
• Children: children are more sensitive to strong herbs and to dehydration from purges or enemas. A sick child with danger signs needs a health facility at once. See danger signs.
• Mixing with medicines: herbs can affect how medicines work, for example HIV, TB, diabetes, blood pressure or heart medicines. Tell your health worker what you take.
• Never stop prescribed treatment for a herb.
• Stop and seek care if you get vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, yellow eyes or dark urine.
• Packaged products should be approved by the drug authority. See how to check herbal medicine.

Protecting the plants

Ssegawa and Kasenene found that only 6.6% of respondents cultivated the medicinal plants they used. Most were harvested from the wild, and stripping bark was damaging trees. Healers and buyers can help by growing common herbs and buying from sustainable sources.

Read types of traditional healers.