Assessing the Conservation Status, Perceptions and Cultural Beliefs Towards Traded Medicinal Plants to Inform Community-Led Conservation Interventions in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda

Medicinal plants play a vital role in traditional healthcare and local economies in Uganda. Despite their importance, their survival is increasingly threatened by climate change, overharvesting, lack of conservation measures and unregulated trade. We investigated how trade, perceptions and cultural beliefs influence the conservation of medicinal plants species. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda, covering 17 sub-counties and targeting 300 respondents (herbalists, primary collectors, and traders) and 10 key informants using a semi structured questionnaire and interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically to explore respondent perceptions and cultural beliefs regarding medicinal plant conservation. This study revealed that 27 medicinal plant species are highly traded in Namutumba district with over 70% of the respondents selling above 1 Kg of herbal medicine per week, a clear indication of the pressure that trade is exerting on medicinal plants. Notably with great concern, some of these plants ( Warburgia ugandensis , Prunus africana , Tamarindus indica and Mondia whitei ) have been cited as being critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction. Some of these plants have become very scarce over the last 5 years. Most respondents expressed positive perception towards the conservation medicinal plants for future generations and acknowledged the role of cultural beliefs in conservation. The study underscores the need for culturally sensitive, community-driven conservation strategies for ensuring conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants in Namutumba district. There is an urgent need to come up with interventions to conserve the threatened and vulnerable medicinal plant species.