In all fields of tropical medicine and surgery, such as newly discovered infectious diseases, undertreated tropical diseases, non-communicable diseases, tropical biomedicine, tropical diseases, tropical fish diseases, tropical fish medicine, and the open access journal Tropical Medicine & Surgery publishes important and ground-breaking research in the fields of tropical health nutrition, tropical medicine, tropical medicine and health, and tropical medicine and hygiene.

Worldwide, the use of herbal medicine is rising as one complementary and alternative medicine component. Little is known regarding the causes of and elements contributing to its use. With regard to the usage objectives, the role played by the ailment type, the reasons for favoured usage, and the sources of information, this study provides insights on the use of herbal medicine in Germany.

A qualitative methodological approach was used to conduct six focus groups (n = 46).two groups, each comprising people who were young, middle-aged, or elderly. Following verbatim transcription and audiotaping, a qualitative content analysis was performed on the data.

We discovered that the most often mentioned goal for utilising herbal medicine across all age categories was treating ailments. Overall, there were less mentions of illness prevention and health promotion, although these topics were crucial for the elderly. Herbal treatments were either discussed in relation to treating mild to moderate illnesses or as a first line of treatment before turning to mainstream medication. Participants stressed the limitations of herbal treatment for serious disorders in this context. The most often cited factors for choosing herbal medicine as a treatment were dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, prior positive experiences, favourable elements of herbal medicine, as well as family customs. Independent reading and family traditions were shown to be just as important as or even more significant information sources than speaking with medical professionals.

Although participants were aware of its limitations and that herbal medicine is often used to treat mild to moderate ailments, the combination of self-medication, unqualified advice, and a lack of risk awareness when using herbal medicine can be dangerous. This is especially important for senior users since, although appearing to be more conscious of health conditions, they typically consume more medication than younger people. Given that the most significant factor leading to a preference for herbal medicine was discontent with conventional medication, government agencies, medical professionals, and pharmaceutical corporations must be aware of this issue and work to raise users' understanding of it.