Table 2 Epidemiology and characteristics of traditional medicine (TM) use stratified by CKD and CKD risk status; CKD-AFRIKA (2014)

 of TM Use

70.3 % (50.0–84.9)

65.3 % (55.2–74.1)

49.0 % (33.1–65.0)

 of concurrent TM and Biomedicine Use

33.2 % (11.4–65.6)

4.35 % (2.15–8.61)

10.4 % (4.70–21.6)

Incidence of TM Use (per year)

 1–5 times

54.4 % (33.4–73.9)

50.5 % (41.3–59.6)

31.0 % (20.8–43.3)

 6–10 times

11.7 % (3.30–33.6)

7.69 % (4.86–12.0)

11.5 % (5.50–22.4)

 >10 times

4.30 % (0.01–20.7)

7.07 % (3.78–12.8)

7.10 % (3.60–13.5)

 More Effective

85.4 % (65.3–94.8)

81.3 % (72.4–87.8)

85.3 % (70.1–93.5)

 Lower Cost

65.7 % (45.2–81.7)

58.8 % (44.5–71.7)

63.0 % (49.7–74.6)

 Easier to Access

58.7 % (39.3–75.6)

66.8 % (58.7–74.0)

72.7 % (58.0–83.7)

 Safer

54.9 % (34.3–74.0)

39.5 % (30.0–49.8)

46.0 % (29.1–63.8)

 More Traditional/Religious

37.9 % (21.1–58.0)

31.1 % (23.0–40.7)

28.9 % (14.8–48.7)

 Medical Doctors

99.4 % (94.8–99.9)

97.7 % (94.0–99.1)

94.7 % (88.4–97.6)

 Family and Elders

53.0 % (33.0–72.1)

51.9 % (37.9–65.6)

53.7 % (38.0–68.6)

 Traditional Healers

28.7 % (13.8–50.3)

5.10 % (2.03–12.2)

6.81 % (3.03–14.6)

 Pharmacists

26.8 % (13.1–47.0)

21.5 % (13.4–32.6)

14.2 % (4.95–34.6)

 Herbal Vendors

11.8 % (3.30–34.6)

4.29 % (12.8–13.4)

5.33 % (2.00–13.4)

 Friends/Neighbors

10.6 % (4.40–23.3)

17.0 % (11.0–25.4)

17.2 % (8.21–32.6)

 for Symptomatic Ailments

66.7 % (17.3–54.3)

33.9 % (25.2–43.9)

42.7 % (30.1–56.2)

 for Chronic Diseases

49.6 % (28.6–70.6)

25.9 % (17.9–35.8)

26.3 % (14.3–43.4)

 for Reproductive Illnesses

45.1 % (23.3–69.1)

19.7 % (11.6–31.3)

16.4 % (8.75–28.5)

 for Malaria/Febrile Illnesses

64.0 % (44.1–79.9)

61.9 % (46.9–75.0)

46.8 % (31.4–62.8)

 for Spiritual/traditional uses

16.1 % (8.71–27.9)

9.30 % (5.13–16.3)

4.69 % (1.48–13.8)

 for Neurologic Illnesses

45.1 % (23.3–69.1)

19.7 % (11.6–31.3)

16.4 % (8.75–28.5)

 for Urogenital Conditions

35.3 % (17.7–58.0)

15.8 % (9.39–25.5)

13.4 % (7.56–22.8)

 for Cancers

11.1 % (3.86–28.3)

17.8 % (7.87–35.4)

7.64 % (3.16–17.3)

 for Disease Prevention

5.17 % (1.75–14.3)

4.66 % (2.24–9.43)

6.99 % (2.77–16.5)

 for Worms/Parasites

30.7 % (16.0–50.7)

8.36 % (5.04–13.6)

17.0 % (10.3–26.8)

 Mix with water

91.8 % (82.7–96.3)

81.6 % (73.3–87.7)

84.8 % (75.5–91.0)

 Drink as a tea

61.6 % (40.8–78.9)

55.5 % (42.6–67.7)

65.9 % (54.9–75.3)

 Drink as a soup

59.6 % (39.4–77.0)

42.9 % (32.6–54.4)

47.5 % (37.6–57.5)

 Chew from the plant

38.4 % (21.2–59.1)

56.3 % (46.1–66.1)

59.1 % (43.9–72.8)

 Drink with milk

33.2 % (15.4–57.5)

20.7 % (14.5–28.5)

24.3 % (16.0–35.1)

 Bath

33.5 % (14.6–59.7)

25.5 % (17.8–35.0)

31.8 % (16.8–51.9)

 Inhalation

49.3 % (27.7–71.1)

30.2 % (20.0–42.8)

42.4 % (29.7–56.1)

 Powders

19.5 % (2.85–48.5)

15.0 % (9.75–22.2)

26.5 % (12.4–47.9)

 As foods to be eaten

2.40 % (0.51–10.6)

3.64 % (1.31–9.67)

2.96 % (0.76–10.8)

 Pill/Vitamin form

2.59 % (0.60–10.5)

0.63 % (0.19–2.05)

0.85 % (0.20–3.46)

 Lotions/Creams

1.21 % (0.26–5.50)

6.05 % (3.06–11.6)

7.81 % (3.10–18.3)