ethnobotany herbal medicine medical anthropology Rwenzori traditional medicine Uganda
This paper examines the use of medicinal plants in Kasese District, Uganda, by herbalists and the general public. To contextualize the use of medicinal plants, we asked herbalists community members about local prevalent illnesses and health practices. We also asked herbalists and community members about the plants they use and recognize. We took photographs and collected plant specimens with herbalists and asked community members to identify the plants and explain their uses. We identified approximately 95 unique medicinal plants utilized by herbalists and other community members for a wide array of conditions. The paper concludes with a discussion of possibilities for integration of herbal and biomedicines, and avenues of community-focused plant conservation.