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National Reference Centre for African Traditional Medicines
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CSIR to play a key role in new National Reference Centre for African Traditional Medicines -
South Africa's Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala Msimang launched a National Reference Centre for African Traditional Medicines with the support of the CSIR and the Medical Research Council. The launch coincided with the celebration of the first African Traditional Medicines Day, to be celebrated annually on 31 August.
"The Department recognises that there is a need to have a focal point on African traditional medicines in the Department of Health so as to guide policy and develop a regulatory framework appropriate for African Traditional Medicines", reads a release by the Department.
The new centre will draw on multi-disciplinary expertise throughout South Africa with the following specific aims:
Establishment of an information system on African Traditional Medicines
Promotion of research and development focused on standardisation and authentication of products based on medicinal plants
Identification of education and training needs of traditional medicine in South Africa
Protection of indigenous knowledge and trade promotion through patents and intellectual property rights
Establishment of agro-processing businesses
Promoting scientific research into life-threatening, chronic and common diseases
The CSIR's bioprospecting programme has been focusing on the transformation of African Traditional Medicines into minimally processed, scientifically validated herbal medicines and the discovery of new pharmaceutical active ingredients for the last ten years and is expected to play a key role in the new Centre. CSIR information and communications technologies are playing a key role in the creation of an information system for African Traditional Medicines.
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