ArticleBMC public health2020
Between traditional remedies and pharmaceutical drugs: prevention and treatment of "Palu" in households in Benin, West Africa.
Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Traditional medicinal knowledge and diversity of medicinal plants in Benin: a systematic review (2014-2023).BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Pooled it
- Understanding malaria dynamics in Benin through time series, and environmental correlation: Implications for targeted interventions.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets Combined or Not with Indoor Residual Spraying May Not Be Sufficient to Eliminate Malaria: A Case-Control Study, Benin, West Africa.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2023Article
- COVID-19 preparedness and social dynamics in a Sub-Saharan Africa country, Benin.Health promotion international · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn Benin, malaria clinical cases, including the larger popular entity called "Palu" are evoked when people get fever. "Palu" is often self-diagnosed and self-medicated at home. This study aimed to describe the use of herbal medicine, and/or pharmaceutical medicines for prevention and treatment of malaria at home and the factors associated with this usage.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Benin in an urban and in a rural area in 2016. Around 600 households in each place were selected by using a random sampling of houses GPS coordinates of the families. The association between socio demographic characteristics and the use of herbal medicine was tested by using logistic regression models.
resultsIn Cotonou (urban), 43.64% of households reported using herbal or pharmaceutical medicine to prevent "Palu", while they were 53.1% in Lobogo (rural). To treat "Palu" in Cotonou, 5.34% of households reported using herbal medicine exclusively, 33.70% pharmaceutical medicine exclusively and 60.96% reported using both. In Lobogo, 4% reported using herbal medicine exclusively, 6.78% pharmaceutical medicine exclusively and 89.22% reported using both. In Cotonou, the factors "age of respondent", "participation to a traditional form of savings" and "low socioeconomic level of the household" were associated with the use of herbal medicine.
conclusionsThis study shows the strong use of herbal medicine to prevent "Palu" or even treat it, and in this case it is mostly associated with the use of pharmaceutical medicine. It also highlights the fact that malaria control and care seeking behaviour with herbal medicine remain closely linked to household low-income status but also to cultural behaviour. The interest of this study is mostly educational, with regards to community practices concerning "Palu", and to the design of adapted behaviour change communication strategies. Finally, there is a need to take into account the traditional habits of populations in malaria control and define a rational and risk-free use of herbal medicine as WHO-recommended.
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