UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

Department of Teacher Education

Morgan Zintec College

DIPLOMA IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

NAME: MAGAYA CHARLES

STUDENT NUMBER: 51/141/19

SUBJECT: Health and Life Skills

DUE DATE: 30 June 2022

LECTURER: Mr Gorogoda

Assignment Question
a) Prepare a kit of 3 dried sachets of traditional herbs that are currently
used as home remedies for COVID-19.
b) Accompany the kit with a written outline on the description,
preparation, dosage and use of the herbs.

Lecturer’s comments

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There are many contagious diseases in the world, some came in the past and some are still there
killing a lot of people around the globe. In this case Covid-19 proved to be the most dangerous
virus-disease on earth killing millions of people in the world mainly the elderly and those who
are chronically ill. In Zimbabwe, most people are helping themselves with traditional herbs
currently as home remedies. Some of the traditional herbs being used are ginger, garlic, zumbani,
lemons and gumtree leaves to mention ac few. In this essay, the writer will prepare a kit of three
dried herbs that are currently used as home remedies for Covid-19 and will accompany the kit
with an outline on the description, preparation, dosage and use of the herbs. Key terms to be
defined are traditional herbs and Covid-19.

According to Perlman, S., & Netland, J. (2020), Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an
RNA virus, with a typical crown-like appearance under an electron microscope due to the
presence of glycoprotein spikes on it’s envelop. Covid-19 is a potentially severe, primarily
respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus and characterized by fever, coughing, and shortness
of breath, (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/covid-19). The writer may say covid-19 is
a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

According to Wikipedia, traditional herbs can be defined as medicine that comprises of medical
aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of
various societies, before the era of modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO)
defines traditional herbs as “the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the
theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not,
used in the maintenance of health as well as the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment
of physical and mental illness. The writer my define traditional herbs as health practices,
approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant-based medicine applied singularly in
combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illness or maintain well-being.

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Three herbs to be included in this writeup are dried Zumbani, dried ginger and dried lemon.

ZUMBANI

There are multiple classes of phytochemicals found in Zumbani which include flavonoids,
alkaloids, iridoids and essential oils which contribute to its medicinal properties. Scientific
reviews carried out so far indicate that the plant has wide range of pharmacological activities,
which include antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimalarial, antiplasmodial and pesticidal effects which
makes it a good herb to use for the treatment of Covid-19. Scientifically known as Lippia
Javanica, zumbani is a woody erect shrub that grows naturally in Zimbabwe and other African
countries. It has helped many people in Zimbabwe to recover very well from Covid-19 infection.
Zumbani can be used as tea or can be boiled and steamed by a Covid-19 patient. It was used in
the past to treat colds, coughs, fever, and malaria hence that makes it a good herb for Covid-19
treatment.

The Zumbani plant, which has a strong balsamic citrus-like scent, is widely believed to treat
Covid-19 (Coronavirus) although no confirmed medical assurance has been issued by

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government medical experts. Some Covid-19 patients are said to have been healed after inhaling
the plant’s steam with other users claim it possess anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial
properties. A lot of people in the country are now turning to traditional remedies and medicinal
plants in treating Covid-19 patients as there is no scientifically proven treatment for the
pandemic in Zimbabwe.

Zumbani can prepared in two ways; as tea or as steaming water. To prepare Zumbani tea one
should add a few dried zumbani leaves in a pot with water. The pot with the mixture of zumbani
leaves and water is brought to boil for at least ten minutes. The colour of water should change to
brown or army green showing that the zumbani herb has formed a mixture with water to form
zumbani tea. For the best treatment, one should take the zumbani tea when it is still hot and
should take at least 500ml of it per day and more of it for seriously affected persons. Once taken,
the zumbani tea reduces chest pains, softens coughs and sore throat, opens blocked nose and
reduces fever and headache.

Zumbani leaves can be boiled together with two litres of water for steaming per person. The
patient can use the same mixture twice or thrice per day before boiling another mixture.
Steaming zumbani tea is highly effective in reducing and treating Covid-19 patient suffering
from nose blockage at large, chest pains, sore throat and it can also soften coughs. Steaming
helps a Covid-19 patient by providing heat to the body thereby reducing body chills.

GINGER

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Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely
used as a spice or folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems
(false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about one meter tall bearing narrow leaf blades.
The inflorescences bear flowers having pale yellow petals with purple edges, and rise directly
from the rhizome on separate shoots. Ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or
juice. It contains gingerol, which has powerful medicinal properties and can treat many forms of
nausea, especially morning sickness.

For covid-19 treatment, ginger can be used to reduce a lot of symptoms. To prepare ginger tea
one can mix ginger roots with water into a pot and bring to boil for at least 15 minutes. After
boiling the mixture, the Covid-19 patient should drink the ginger tea while it is hot or warm.
Fresh ginger is said to be highly effective as compared to powdered or dried ginger. Ginger can
be consumed by a covid-19 patient by eating its roots although it is a bit tough as the ginger roots
are very sour but it is the most effective way of treating covid-19 using ginger. Ginger helps the
infected person by clearing soar throat, reducing chest pains, clearing nose blockages as well as
reducing fever. Ginger tea can be taken for at least 2 times per day; in the morning and in the
evening to be highly effective.

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LEMON

Lemons are a popular fruit that people use in small quantities to add flavor to food. However,
they rarely consume them alone due to their intense, sour taste. Lemons are a good source of
vitamin C, soluble fiber, and plant compounds that give them a number of health benefits.
Lemon water is rich source of vitamin C and plant compounds, which can enhance immune
function, protect against various diseases, and increase one’s absorption of iron.

In treating covid-19, lemons are playing a crucial role in reducing covid-19 infections. To treat
covid-19 using lemons, one may take it as it is by chewing it. It highly recommended to take
lemons and chew them as it reduces or clears soar throat. Lemons can be used to treat a covid-19
patient by mixing chopped lemons with water and boiling them to form lemon tea. Lemon tea
can be drunk or steamed. One may drink lemon tea whilst it is hot and may be taken twice a day

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using a 250ml cup. Drinking hot lemon tea helps by reducing body chills, clearing soar throat
and reducing chest and throat pains. Steaming with boiled lemons is recommended to deal with
blockage nose for a covid-19 patient.

Conclusively, the write up has clearly prepared kits of three dried herbs that are currently used as
home remedies for Covid-19 and accompanied the kit with outlines on the description,
preparation, dosage and use of the herbs. The three herbs are the mainly used for covid-19
treatment in different homes and are easily found in different communities. It is highly
recommended by health experts to always use these herbs even before one is attacked by Covid-
19 hence should normalize using the three on daily basis to boost the immune system.

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REFERENCE LIST

Dutta A. K. (2017). Moringa oleifera: A Review on its importance and medicinal applications in
recent age. World J Pharm Scie.

Fahey, J. (2017). Moringa oleifera: a review of medical potential. Acta Hort.

Fokunang, V., Ndikum, V., Tabi, O.Y. & Jiofack (2011). Traditional Medicine: past, present
and future research and development prospects and integration, Cameroon.

Fuglie, L. J. (1999). The miracle tree: moringa oleifera, natural nutrition for the tropics. Church
World Service: Dakkar, Senegal

Marobela, K. A. (2017). Traditional Medicine, in Pharmacognosy

Sutarno., H., Hadad., E., A, Brink, M (1999). Zingiber officinale Roscoe. In Guzman CC,
Siemonsma JS (eds.). Plant resources of South-East Asia: no.13: Spices. Leiden (Netherlands):
Backhuys Publishers. Pp. 238-244.

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