Public Perceptions Towards Integration of Herbal Medicine into Mainstream Healthcare in Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The integration of traditional medicine into health systems is one of the major objectives of the current World Health Organisation (WHO) strategy on traditional medicine. This may be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach involving conventional health workers (CHWs) and traditional medical practitioners. Whereas the majority of studies have focused on the two groups, a few have prioritized the general public, a key stakeholder. The study aimed to investigate the public perception regarding the regulation and integration of herbal medicine (HM) into the mainstream healthcare system in Kenya. A cross-sectional study design was adopted, and a systematic random sampling strategy was used to select participants, who included one adult participant from each household within a span of 5 kilometres around each sampled public health facility, in Kakamega County, Western Kenya. A total of 317 adults were interviewed, and targeted structured questionnaires were used to obtain their perceptions on key relevant thematic areas, including use, efficacy, improvements of HM practice, and integration into mainstream healthcare. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 28.0. An assessment of support for integration was considered as the motivating objective. From the findings, 88% of the respondents reported that they use HM as part of their treatment when ill,  59% believe that HM provides effective treatment, and 78% believe they are safe. On integration, 52% of the public support integration of herbal and conventional medicine (CM), with 62% of the view that both medicines can be used concurrently. Notably, integration is already being informally implemented in Kenya, mainly through cross-referrals between HPs and CHWs, with 22% reported referrals by CHWs to HPs and 24% from HPs to CHWs. In conclusion, the proposed strategies of integration include cross referrals, registration and licensing of herbal practitioners (HPs), training HPs in modern healthcare practices, as well as documentation and validation of the efficacy of herbal medicines.