Medicinal Plants Adopted to Treat Children's Diseases by Traditional Pediatrics ''Women Healers'' In The Souss Massa Region (Agadir Idaoutanan, Inzegane Ait Meloul and Chtouka Ait Baha) Morocco

Abstract

The population of southern Morocco, particularly that of Souss Massa, uses traditional empirical care, several specialties of traditional medicine exist in the region including women healers considered traditional pediatricians, these women used medicinal plants to treat diseases of infants and children. this study was carried out in order to collect information on the therapeutic practices and medicinal plants adopted and used by women healers named locally by "ferraga" or "tachrift" and "tagouramt" in the Souss Massa region (Agadir Idaoutanan, Inzegane Ait Meloul and Chtouka Ait Baha), in order to preserve and protect this invaluable inheritance from loss and overlook.Using questionnaires, a series of surveys were conducted during the years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, on the one hand, among the population (sample of 279 people) to determine the importance of these women healers in the health sector of the region of these women healers, and on the other hand, a survey was conducted among these women healers to collect the recipes adopted in the treatment of children's diseases. The population that uses traditional medicine frequently resorts frequently to these women healers to treat digestive and respiratory diseases and the incessant crying. The population that uses traditional medicine resorts to these women healers to treat digestive (30% of population) and respiratory diseases and the incessant crying (24% of population). The floristic analysis of the adopted recipes has revealed 56 plant species divided into 35 botanical families. The most used families are Lamiaceae (12,5%) and Apiaceae (10,71%). the leaves constitute the part more used 32.26% followed by the seeds 22.58%, the infusion is the mode of preparation most used by 35% and the dose is generally by pinch, spoonful or by handful These results show that the women healers have a very important place in the health service, especially they have a very interesting knowledge of the treatment of digestive and respiratory disorders and especially of the effects attributed to sorcery. The plants identified in this study could constitute a data base for further research in the field of phytochemistry and pharmacology.