Medicinal Plants and Health Sovereignty in Badakhshan, Afghanistan: Diversity, Stewardship, and Gendered Knowledge

Medicinal plants are fundamental to health sovereignty, providing vital healthcare and livelihood options for rural mountain communities. We conducted 284 interviews with 416 participants in Badakhshan Province of northeastern Afghanistan focusing on the collection, use, sale, and management of medi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human ecology : an interdisciplinary journal 2021-12, Vol.49 (6), p.809-829
Main Authors: Karamkhudoeva, Munira, Laldjebaev, Murodbek, Ruelle, Morgan L., Kassam, Karim-Aly S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aids
Analgesics
Anthropology
Archives & records
Blood pressure
Commercialization
Environmental Management
Geography
Health care
Health services
Herbal medicine
Hypertension
Medicinal plants
Mountains
Plant diversity
Plant resources
Rural communities
Social Sciences
Sociology
Sovereignty
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Summary:Medicinal plants are fundamental to health sovereignty, providing vital healthcare and livelihood options for rural mountain communities. We conducted 284 interviews with 416 participants in Badakhshan Province of northeastern Afghanistan focusing on the collection, use, sale, and management of medicinal plants. Participants identified 48 plants within 45 categories of treatment and prevention. The greatest number of plants were used to treat hypertension (14 plants), followed by kidney aids (12), analgesics (11), gastrointestinal aids (11), and dermatological aids (9). Comparisons with hospital records suggest that medicinal plants treat common ailments and preempt the need for some hospital visits. In addition, medicinal plants provide a source of livelihood for approximately 25% of participants. Many gatherers are concerned about the impacts of harvesting on medicinal plant resources. Collaborative research and knowledge exchange are necessary to enhance health sovereignty and community-based stewardship that sustain medicinal plant diversity in the context of increasing commercialization.
ISSN:0300-7839
1572-9915
DOI:10.1007/s10745-021-00270-9