Infertility is a complex health issue that affects approximately 17.5% of the adult population globally, approximately 1 in 6 individuals (WHO, 2023). It is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a reproductive system disorder characterized by the inability to achieve clinical pregnancy after twelve months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. This condition poses a significant challenge to public and reproductive health on a global scale.

Globally, over 70 million couples are impacted by infertility, with a substantial number residing in developing countries, particularly in Africa. In this continent, infertility often leads to marital discord, violence, infidelity, divorce, or polygamy (Wembulua, 2011, Lougué and Kaboré, 2019; Koman, 2019). In developing regions, including Africa, studies suggest that 15% to 30% of couples may face infertility issues; in Cameroon, 20% to 30% of couples are affected, representing a significant portion of the population (Wembulua, 2011, Ohannessian et al., 2014, Lougué and Kaboré, 2019, Hazlina et al., 2022).

The etiology of infertility is diverse, with male factors contributing to 20%, female factors to 30%, mixed causes to 40%, and unexplained cases to 10% (Barillier, 2007; CNGOF, 2011). In Cameroon, the prevalence among women aged 22 to 44 years was reported at 25% in 2000, with indications that the rates may have increased during recent years (Larsen, 2000).

Traditional medicine plays a fundamental role in infertility treatment in Cameroon, serving as a primary therapeutic approach. In rural areas, approximately 80% of the population depends on traditional medicine for healthcare, a trend observed in many developing countries worldwide. (Jandi, 2017; Koman, 2019). Ethnopharmacological research has identified numerous medicinal plants with potential therapeutic effects for managing fertility issues. For example, Telefo et al. (2011) documented 46 plants used in 32 recipes for treating female infertility in Baham subdivision (Western Cameroon). The same authors in 2012 reported 33 plants used in 37 recipes made for the same purpose in Menoua division of the same region (Telefo et al., 2012). Many other ethnobotanical researches in Cameroon were also applied to save ancestral therapeutic knowledge (Focho et al., 2009, Mpondo et al., 2017a, Ndjouondo et al., 2015, Ngene et al., 2015).

Modern medicine is facing many limitations today as many toxic effects are reported in the reproductive functions of people receiving treatments. For instance, Bhardwaj et al. (2023) reported the gonadotoxicity of doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin and paclitaxel which are antocancerous agents, as well, Cadmium and other heavy metals were also reported to induce oxidative stress, follicular atresia, hormonal imbalance and impairment of oocyte growth or development and other ovarian toxicities. The same authors reported that some medicinal plant extracts combat efficiently these effects and restore fertility (Bhardwaj et al., 2021, 2024). Medicinal plants are then becoming the new therapeutic strategy as many recent researches are applied on their extracts and essential oils to substantiate and validate the knowledge shared by traditional healers; many toxicological effects are also designed to verify their inocuity in vitro and in vivo; interesting and promising results have so far been gathered from these researches. Despite the promise shown by these traditional remedies, the rapid rural exodus and progressive deforestation threaten the transmission of this medicinal knowledge which is shared empirically from parents to their offsprings through oral and visual ways. The loss of ancestral infertility knowledge threatens the availability of traditional treatment options. Consequently, there is an urgent need for reporting these traditional practices in order to make a data bank for testing the different remedies in view of low-cost standardized production of treatments against female infertility.

To address this gap, the present study conducted an ethnopharmacological survey among twenty (20) traditional practitioners and herbalists in two localities (Mbouroukou and Mouanguel) of Melong subdivision (Moungo division, Littoral Cameroon) with the aim of recording data on traditional treatments using medicinal plants against female infertility.