A Southern African Development Community (SADC) inter-ministerial
subcommittee on TMs has recommended that member states each provide the
legal framework for recognition of African traditional medical practice. The
subcommittee has proposed that financial and technical resources be
mobilised for the implementation of TM policies in Africa, undertaken to
assess the needs and status of traditional medical practice in the SADC region
by 2006 and to formulate policy for the recognition, regulation and control of
traditional medical practice by 2007.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Africa’s rich botanical biodiversity and well-estab-
lished traditional medical systems can be harnessed for the provision of
better healthcare throughout the continent. Pharmacists in AU states are well
equipped to bridge the gap between traditional and western allopathic
medical systems through the application of standard pharmaceutical
methods to quality assurance, safety assessment and efficacy testing of TMs
in use in their countries. Adding value or benefits to TMs as finished prod-
ucts (e.g. tablets, ointments, syrups) may constitute the foundation of a
phytomedicines industry and is also the domain of the pharmacist. Much of
this work lends itself to postgraduate student research projects. The neces-
sary expertise and infrastructure do not exceed the capabilities of the average
African university School of Pharmacy. Consideration might be given by
health ministries in neighbouring states to the creation of regional centres of
excellence in TM research, if possible with WHO financial and technical
support. In this way duplication of facilities and research effort might be
minimised, as the use of many TMs straddles country borders.
The domestication of plant species used as TMs as crops and their agri-
cultural improvement are additional steps in the process of bringing TMs
from the field to the pharmacy and clinic, with potential benefits to both the
health and economies of AU states. Government support in the form of
collaboration between ministries of health, agriculture, environment and
industry is needed to facilitate the process, ensuring also that the rights of
TPs are respected and the plant species concerned properly conserved.^79
Africa’s pharmacists have an additional role: to ensure that whatever TM
research is undertaken in their countries is both necessary and relevant, that
the results of this research are communicated to TPs, healthcare providers and
the public, and that the most cost-effective methods are employed throughout.
Appendix 1
‘... kouwen meerendeels seeker kruyd by haer canna genoemt, t’welck zy
met wortel en stam gesamentlyk tusschen steenen kreusen, en in toegenayde
114 | Traditional medicine