ABSTRACT
Background: Globally, diarrheal and respiratory diseases are among the top ten causes of mortality, and are the major ailments for which humans seek treatment. Kampala, the capital city of Uganda is facing a proliferation of herbalists that sell herbal medicine (HM) used to manage ailments such as diarrhea and cough. The ethnopharmacological and economic aspects of HM sold in Uganda’s major cities such as Kampala are poorly understood, and this deters the HM sector from achieving its optimal capacity to adequately support health promotion and poverty reduction. The aim of this research was to: (i) profile the plant species used in the treatment of diarrhea and cough, and (ii) determine the basic economic aspects of HM trade in Kampala city. The purpose was to support the conservation of ethnopharmacological knowledge, and the design of strategic plans towards fostering optimal HM trade in urban settings. Methods: : A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a mixed methods approach. Sixty-five herbalists were selected in the five divisions of Kampala. The herbalists were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Field observations were used to collect qualitative data. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with STATA version- 15.0. Results: : Eighty-four plant species from 41 families were documented: Fabaceae and Myricaceae with the highest number of species (9, 10.7% each). Citrus limon was the most commonly cited for cough, with a relative frequency of citation (RFC) of 1.00, and its relative medical importance was not significantly different from the other top 5 species except for Azadirachta indica (RFC=0.87), (χ 2 =8.923, p = 0.0028). Entada abyssinica (RFC=0.97) was most cited for diarrhea. Trees (34, 40.5%) were mostly used, and mainly harvested from wild habitats (55.2%), found in 20 districts across Uganda. These HM were mainly sold as powders and concoctions, in markets, shops, pharmacies, and roadside or mobile stalls. The highest prices were Uganda Shillings (UGX) 48,000 ($ 13.15)/Kg for Allium sativum , and UGX 16,000 ($ 4.38)/Kg for C. limon . All participants used HM trade as a sole source of basic needs; majority (60.0%) earned net monthly profit of UGX. 730,000 ($ 200) ≤ 1,460,000 ($ 400). The main hindrances to HM trade were the; disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (n=65, 100%), and the scarcity of medicinal plants (58, 89.2%). Conclusion: There is a rich diversity of medicinal plant species traded in Kampala to treat diarrhea and cough. The HM trade significantly contributes to the livelihoods of the traders in Kampala, as well as the different actors along the HM value chain throughout the country