Integration of Innovative Technology in Herbal Therapy in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Co-existence of traditional and modern health care as complements and substitutes is a global phenomenon. Poor modern health care infrastructure made traditional medicine and particularly herbal therapy an indispensable alternative health care option in Kenya. Unfortunately, substandard technology applied in the local infant herbal therapy industry perpetuated preference for foreign herbal products that might be incompatible to the unique Kenyan environment. Consequently, this paper examined the integration of innovative technology in herbal therapy in Kakamega County, Kenya. It specifically sought to establish innovations applied in herbal therapy and determine the relationship between herbal therapy and household welfare. Fifty herbal practitioners were purposively sampled in the County and primary data was collected using a questionnaires. The results showed that hygiene and sanitation (90%), product promotion (70%), gradual processing of herbal materials (48%), domestication of the medicinal plants (44%) and patient centred service (38%) technologies were practiced. A moderate positive Pearson's Correlation coefficient (0.393^**, at 2-tailled test) was revealed between herbal therapy and human welfare. It was concluded that innovation was indispensable in sustaining the relevance of herbal therapy in Kenya's health care delivery systems. This improved human healthcare and human welfare as envisaged in Kenya's vision 2030.