The use of plants in the treatment of snakebites in Burkina Faso: therapeutic itineraries

The ophidian envenomation still constitutes a major public health problem in Africa. The present contribution studies cases from Burkina Faso.  Here, cooperation between modern medical services and the so-called “traditional practitioners” is going on. As a result of their parallel intervening, one can observe intertwined perspectives concerning the care of snakebite. This offers a tableau of medical pluralism, which, due to the interdependency of actors and practices, is worth to be analyzed. My presentation will center on the role of plants in curing snakebite and of their perception by the different actors. In order to do so, I will proceed by a cross analysis of patients, “modern” doctors and “traditional practitioners” with regard to their varying conceptions of the pharmacopoeia.