Browsing by Author "Malinga, Geoffrey Maxwell"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Safety and efficacy of herbal medicines for the management of sickle cell disease in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    (PAMJ One Health, 2024-12-16) Awor, Silvia; Bongomin, Felix; Kaggwa, Mark Mohan; Pebalo, Pebolo Francis; Kivumbi, Ronald Muganga; Malinga, Geoffrey Maxwell; Ongwech, Acaye; Nnamuyomba, Proscovia; Oryema, Christine; Abola, Benard; Epila, Jackie; Musoke, David
    This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the safety and efficacy of herbal remedies used to manage sickle cell disease (SCD) in Africa. Before the advent of western medicine, people depended on herbal medicines for treating different illnesses. Using herbal medicines to sickle cell disease (SCD) is still common in Africa. However, data on the safety and efficacy of any of these remedies are limited. We searched PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Web of Science from inception to 11thJanuary 2024 using the keywords "herbal medicine" and "sickle cell" and the name of each of the countries in Africa without language restrictions. We included cross-sectional studies that reported the safety or efficacy of herbal medicine for managing sickle cell disease. Two reviewers assessed all included studies for suitability for inclusion in this review. All included articles were assessed using ROBINS-1, a tool for assessing the risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions. We used the randomeffect model to pool the efficacy and safety profiles of the herbal medicines using RStudio version 4.2.2. Overall, we included five studies involving 1,489 individuals with SCD. Of these, 789 (53.0%) used herbal remedies like Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), Forever Living products, Golden Neo-Life Diamite International (GNLD) diet supplements and ginseng products. About 22.9% (181 out of 789) of the participants who used herbal remedies reported side effects, while 38.5% (304 out of 789) reported improving their symptoms. There was a high risk of publication bias in the articles included in this review. The pooled adverse effects of the herbal medicines for SCD treatment were 48% lower (Odds ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26 - 1.05, I²= 82%, p<0.01) while the pooled efficacy of herbal remedies for treating SCD was nearly 100% higher (odds ratio= 2.07, 95% confidence interval 0.99 - 4.32, I²= 78%, p<0.01) among the users than controls. However, these findings were not statistically significant. Our findings indicate no significant difference in the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines among people with SCD who used or did not use herbal remedies. However, the sample sizes of the primary studies were small. Thus, more extensive controlled studies with better-defined endpoints are required to inform the use of herbal medicines in managing SCD in Africa.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    “We Cure Sickle Cell Disease with Herbs”: Perspectives of Herbal Medicine Practitioners Treating Sickle Cell Disease in the Acholi SubRegion
    (DovePress, Taylor & Francis Group, 2025-07-28) Awor, Silvia; Opee, Jimmyy; Denis Ocaya,; Ocaya, Jimmy; Abola, Benard; Malinga, Geoffrey Maxwell; Oryema, Christine; Arwenyo, Beatrice; Ongwech, Acaye; Musoke, David; Nnamuyomba, Proscovia; Epila, Jackie
    Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder that results in the deformation of red blood cells under low oxygen conditions, causing vaso-occlusive crises and severe complications. While hydroxyurea has been introduced as a treatment for SCD, herbal medicines remain widely used across Africa. Northern Uganda has a high SCD prevalence of 20.5%, yet limited research exists on alternative treatment options within local communities. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of herbal medicine practitioners in the Acholi sub-region. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews between October and December 2024 involving 24 herbal medicine practitioners in the Acholi sub-region, selected through referrals and non-probability snowball sampling. All data collected were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis, and emerging themes were presented. Results: All participants believed herbal medicine could cure SCD, and the majority reported successfully treating patients. However, some practitioners remembered some patients who reported being sick with sickle cell crises many years after the “cure”. “When they report improvement, I stop medication after some time…” thereafter, “I encourage them to go to the hospital, but they do not. They can stay without falling sick for a long time and declare themselves healed”. Findings suggest herbal medicines are commonly used for SCD management in the Acholi sub-region. Most herbal medicine practitioners rely on the hospital diagnoses, although a few can tell who has sickle cell disease by looking at or touching them. A lot of mistrust exists between herbal medicine practitioners, the government, and researchers. This hinders efforts to integrate traditional medicine into mainstream healthcare and limits opportunities for scientific validation. Conclusion: Herbal medicine practitioners believe herbs can treat sickle cell disease; however, further research is needed to investigate the nature of these herbs and their mechanisms of action, thereby facilitating the integration of herbal medicine into conventional care. We discuss some implications of the study for practice and policy