Data on Indigenous traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by herbalists in treating opportunistic infections among people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda

In Uganda, herbalists widely used medicinal plants for treating people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). Different species are mainly used to treat the opportunistic infections that characterise the disease. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in eight districts of Arua, Dokolo, Mbale, Bushenyi, Iganga, Rakai, Luwero and Kaabong in different parts of Uganda. The data has been disaggregated by district in each column. Each column captures the biodata and number of herbalists interviewed by district. Then a summary of the responses to the key questions asked pertaining to the use of medicinal plants, the signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS and the indigenous traditional knowledge and associated practices of the herbalists. Data from the individual districts is then synthesised to get a representative picture for the whole country. The data generally show that the herbalists treat HIV/AIDS by symptoms patients present with. An analysis of all the opportunistic infections and their frequency of citation by the herbalists is given. The herbalists are knowledgeable on a wide range of opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS. The herbalists also generally counsel their patients and encourage them to simultaneous their antiretroviral drugs with herbal treatments. The data also show what the herbalists believe to be the cause of AIDS, in addition to the challenges they face in their practice.

在乌干达，传统草药医师广泛使用药用植物治疗艾滋病病毒感染者/艾滋病患者（People Living with HIV/AIDS, PLHIV）。此类疗法主要针对该病特征性的机会性感染，选用不同种类的药用植物开展治疗。

本研究针对乌干达境内不同区域的阿鲁阿、多科洛、姆巴莱、布申伊、伊甘加、拉凯、卢韦罗及卡邦共8个行政区，开展了民族植物学调查。数据已按行政区进行分列，每一列均记录了对应行政区受访草药医师的背景资料与受访人数。数据集同时汇总了核心调研问题的回复内容，涵盖药用植物的使用情况、艾滋病病毒/艾滋病的体征与症状，以及受访草药医师所掌握的本土传统知识与相关从业实践。

随后将各行政区的调研数据进行整合，以呈现乌干达全国范围内的整体图景。整体数据显示，草药医师会根据患者呈现的症状开展艾滋病相关治疗。数据集同时提供了所有机会性感染的相关分析，以及草药医师提及各类感染的频次统计。受访草药医师对艾滋病相关的各类机会性感染均具备较为丰富的认知。多数草药医师还会为患者提供咨询服务，并鼓励患者在接受草药治疗的同时服用抗逆转录病毒药物。此外，数据集还记录了草药医师所认定的艾滋病致病原因，以及他们在从业过程中面临的各类挑战。