THE HANDBOOK ON AFRICAN TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINE

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04afd5a3.jpg"> <bR> <div> <B>The Botanical Source</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2063.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B><IMG SRC="107b8d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop"><U><IMG SRC="11958d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seed Catalogue :"><U><IMG SRC="11948d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=5d55fa2bee3df7b388a151625a1e9916" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11938d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><IMG SRC="10828d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><IMG SRC="11928d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><IMG SRC="11918d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://edge.quantserve.com/quant.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">_qacct="p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ";quantserve();</script> <noscript> <a href="http://www.quantcast.com/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ" target="_blank"><img src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ.gif" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/></a> </noscript>   </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3741917-2"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04c03043.jpg"> <div> <B>THE HANDBOOK ON AFRICAN TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINE</B></div> <div> By R. Mabitsela</div> <div>  <script language=JavaScript>  </script>  </div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Introduction</B></div> <bR> <div> The history of African traditional medicine is as old as the story of the origin and development of the continent's socio-political systems. Fact is the advent of colonial conquest and consequently the imposition of especially Western solutions to health and hygiene, brought with it the castigation and ultimately the demonization of the African traditional approach.</div> <bR> <div> This fact partly explains the reason why the knowledge was never allowed to evolve and flourish leading to the current situation where even indigenous Africans have themselves been somewhat distanced from it. The entire colonial period was a time of systematic destruction of the Africans' knowledge and belief in the efficacy of our traditional methods of prevention and cure in which politics and religion played a much significant role. Be that as it may, the knowledge systems of old have survived the persistent onslaught, at times against near impossible odds.</div> <bR> <div> The current era of transition from Euro-centric dictates to the higher plateau of continental re-awakening creates space for a more assiduous revival of African medical know-how in the spirit of the African Renaissance project. Significantly, one of the main pillars of this renaissance is actually the concept of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). We are fortunate in South Africa that Cabinet has since recognized the relevance of IKS and has through the appropriate departments of government sought to enact laws to that effect. In this connection, no small a part has been played by the South African Chapter of the African renaissance (SACAR) and the official Department of Arts and Culture Heritage Chief Directorate.</div> <div> Elevating Traditional Medicine - A general outline</div> <bR> <div> Outside of the foregoing, great initiatives are in place to help develop and refine strategies to re-elevate traditional medicine with a view to resuscitate confidence in historically known herbal remedies and cures. Importantly the strategies being explored also embrace the very important questions of veterinary and environmental relevance as well as the role of professional traditional healers.</div> <bR> <div> One such initiative is "The Handbook On African Medicinal and Traditional Herbs" project. The project has as its background the amazing efforts of Rui Carvalho and his Herbal Africa undertaking. The locus of the initiators of the handbook is a committed group of professionals whose major aim is to enlighten and to empower the general public and the medical profession on the proper use and dosage of African medicinal plants. The aim is to publish a book in which the traditional and scientific components are merged. This will enhance its credibility as well as provide and inform the populace and medical profession with apt knowledge whilst laying bare the value of South African medicinal plants.</div> <bR> <div> The book's uniqueness and value lies in its content. It goes much further than academic descriptions and explanations. According to Tr. Doctor J Ngombe, "The secret of African medicine lies in the proper dosage and its preparation". This sentence will constitute the focal point of the work. And quite importantly because of current publications' failure to correctly explain the use of African medicines, there is a great deal of frustration among professionals and the public alike. The authors aim to correct past misinformation due to ignorance on the subject of African herbs and medicines. Importantly, fact will be separated from fiction in the entire body of the work.</div> <bR> <div> We have already alluded to the fact that 'Western' education and colonial propaganda has done much to discredit our heritage and culture. As a consequence African herbs are often associated with witchcraft and the occult. This has to be corrected as a priority if we are to achieve the progress and international acceptability and respectability that Asian and other cultures have registered with their herbs.</div> <bR> <div> Herbal Africa specifically focuses on the exploration, research, development and manufacture/packaging of African Herbal and Traditional Medicine. Its success has been such that it is attracting positive responses even among conventional medical practitioners as we write. Both the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Council on Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) are being severally appraised and will continue to be consulted as key aspects of the project unfold. Because of these and other considerations, including the cost of modern medicine as imposed by the huge multinational pharmaceutical companies, an acute need to facilitate the accessibility of the knowledge and effectiveness of certain plants/herbs for medicinal purposes could no more be over-emphasized. From all this arose the idea of a generally user-friendly handbook that could benefit the professional and the layman alike.</div> <bR> <div> Africa's healers, for long skeptical of outsiders and understandably secretive of their skills, possess centuries of accumulated knowledge and experience on medical plants. Our own researchers were the first to promote African herbal traditional medicines on the Internet, the first to encapsulate Momordica balsamina L one of the most popular medicines in Southern Africa, the first to manufacture an anti-malaria medicine based on African medicinal plants and the first to prove that Africa has a plant that kills the HIV virus while simultaneously allowing for human cell development (under research and development in tandem with CSIR). The caliber of researchers in our team constitute the invaluable source from which the book will draw in providing the necessary information for disadvantaged communities to also treat themselves against life-threatening diseases.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vision and Goals</B></div> <bR> <div> We believe as we do that as it is being slowly proven, African herbs are able to deliver effective treatments for major diseases and ailments. This is were the authors focus their attention - tapping into centuries of wisdom and knowledge of the secrets of our natural resources, heritage and culture as well as enhancing this body of knowledge with scientific data and fact.</div> <bR> <div> In the immediately foregoing sense the authors seek to publish a worthy book that will become a benchmark of African herbal medicine and future publications on the subject; educate the South African and the overseas public; empower our communities with information and know-how totake control of primary health care; further help the South African market and industry based on African medicinal plants and to empower and to enhance the lives of the under-privileged thereby changing the credo; "he who cannot pay, dies".</div> <bR> <div> At the end of the day we aim to produce a truly informative and representative handbook that can help facilitate the integration of African traditional healers with established scientific bodies in order to achieve set goals. Pharmacists, homeopaths, botanists, scientists and conventional doctors will verify the toxicity and efficacy of the data contained in the book in order to safeguard the public against overdosing or any other ill effects that can result from its utilization. The authors maintain that their goal can best be summarized as a small version of the human pharmacopoeia of Southern African medicinal plants. Fact is China exports over $1 billion's worth of medicinal herbs. The handbook will give our herbs their long-deserved credit and will equally go a long way in placing our herbs in the international order books.</div> <bR> <div> This article is precisely about this book project and how it fits in contextually to Southern African programs on national and community health issues. We believe that the timing of the project is more apt than expedient. This is particularly so for our country and people as we grapple with the problem of the HIV/AIDS pandemic even as we have to face up to the incredulous opinions of 'experts' who would have the world believe that African traditional herbal science is in no way capable of delivering effective solutions. The handbook participants will show that that the project is not offering/promoting alchemist panaceas but well researched and proven medicaments.</div> <div> African Century and Alternative Medicine</div> <bR> <div> For several years now recourse to alternative medicine in the West has become almost a fad. There are reasons for this change of attitude, and they are wedded to efficacy versus costs. Of course the growing popularity of alternative medicine has also to do with cultures other than African. Significant amongst these is evidently Chinese, Asian, Japanese and Native American practices and own chemistries. To some extent the African way has also made inroads into Western culture. The power of the appeal issuing from alternative medicine is due to the fact that it relies on treatment that promotes health without recourse to artificial drugs. (In many instances artificial drugs are associated with debilitating side effects that may even be fatal).</div> <bR> <div> In South Africa there has been a significant growth in recognition of the relevance of the African practice, consequently leading to a number of White individuals going as far as studying and graduating as Sangomas and Inyangas. Furthermore it is a fact beyond much dispute that most black South Africans believe in or have at least consulted the traditional medicos at one point or another. In all appearances, the era of alternative medicine as a preventive, curative and/or complementary solution to illness and disease is already upon us. The business of the handbook will be to help facilitate and to harness this newfound enthusiasm within the parameters of proper ethical conduct. The anticipated impact of the handbook should go a long way in propelling affordable health for the purpose, among others, of placing the African Century on a sound footing in the globalizing world of today.</div> <div> Participants</div> <bR> <div> Sometimes during the second half of 2002 a team was put together to work on the project from the planning stage, composition, editing to publication and distribution. The locus of the team includes Rui de Carvalho (Project initiator, Research, Website/write-ups), Dr PC Magan (Strategy, Marketing, Producer/GP/AR), Radithupa Eddie Mabitsela (Editor-in-Chief, /write-ups/AR), Johnnic Publishing (Publishers), Preferred funder, Epilogue (Oupa Ramachela), Dr Winston Leukes (Research trends), Production and Business Plan (Johnnic Publishing).</div> <bR> <div> The broad list of other participants includes the following:</div> <bR> <div>     * Herbal Africa, IKS Institute, Institute of Traditional Healers, Selected experts/consultants etc.</div> <div>     * Various Traditional Healers Associations including the African Healers</div> <div>     * Association and Association of Mozambican Traditional Healers (Ametramo).</div> <div>     * Selected traditional healers</div> <bR> <div> <B>Potential Users</B></div> <bR> <div> The foregoing motivations notwithstanding, the handbook will prove useful to the general public at home and abroad. Other potential beneficiaries may include:</div> <bR> <div> South Africa, Conventional Medical Practitioners, Traditional Healers, Homeopaths, Pharmacologists, The Security Forces, Research Institutions, Libraries, Community Information Centers, Traditional Churches, Professional Institutions such as Universities, Technikons. Health Clubs, Schools, Kindergartens, Pharmacists, Veterinary Centers, Disease and Pest Control Points, Environmentalists, Industries (Factories, Mines etc), Villages and Homesteads, Individual Households, Holopathic Healers, National and Private Wildlife Parks lists of contents from prologue to epilogue follows below.</div> <div> Intellectual Property Rights</div> <bR> <div> One of the principal considerations that have gone into the planning of the handbook is the issue of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and how these can impact on the project as well as the knowledge and use of the products being promoted. This aspect is quite contentious as many of the items of interest reside in individual family and/or community heritages. It is not the business of the authors to try and resolve the matter arbitrarily.</div> <div> Consequentially we have seen fit, and we are convinced quite correctly so, to take the cue from the South African statutes on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS).</div> <bR> <div> The authors are pleased to acknowledge the decisively revolutionary IKS Act that has been promulgated by the national legislature not so long ago. It is equally encouraging to note that the terms of this law also abide with international intellectual property requiements. Further to this, the authors are of the view that any outstanding issues relating to IPR will continue to be addressed through competent official structures and the relevant professional institutions such as the Directorate of Heritage, the IKS institute and others in conformity with patent laws etc.</div> <div> Quo Vadis</div> <bR> <div> Obviously a handbook of this nature cannot be the alpha and omega on the subject of traditional medicine. Indeed the spectrum of knowledge and practice is as broad as it is complex. It would require more than an inspired foray into the history and evolution of all that has gone into its dialectical progression over the ages. The effort that is being made here is but a humble contribution to the larger body of both the field alongside unfolding research even in the face of unyielding challenges by multinational pharmaceutical companies and some of their allies in most governments in the continent and elsewhere.</div> <bR> <div> In the foregoing context, the work is perceived as but an introduction, a general synopsis of a positively complex matter. It is with this thought in mind that the authors wish to unveil the work as first edition of a possible series. Hopefully it will open more organized and informed discussion on the pharmacological merits, curative and healing benefits of the knowledge that should lead to its better recognition and use by our people. Conventional medical practitioners and 'western experts' will understandably awaken to its usefulness, accessibility and cost-effectiveness. Environmentalists everywhere will also discover that traditional herbalists and healers also possess valuable knowledge in the harvesting of the plants/roots and preservation of the variegated environment in which they occur. After conscientious review, copious recording and classification, refining of data and further consultations, we hope and trust that a second edition will be forthcoming.</div> <bR> <div> It is now estimated that this first edition will take about 18 months to complete as most of the research work is already completed as evidenced by the progress being made by Herbal Africa. The planning stage is done and the implementation phase is on track. The authors are also in talks with interested sponsors and are keenly awaiting more responses. When this is done, the collation of relevant information including interviews and photography to support the text will be embarked upon. The whole vision is to accompany the work with geographic data, mythologies and a brief lexicon interspersed with selected South African vernacular terminology.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B>  Subscribe to The Botanical Source free newsletter:<br><br> <form action="http://freeautobot.com/cgi-bin/autores/autores.cgi" target="_blank"> <input type=hidden name="do" value="add_lead_external"> <input type=hidden name="Username" value="botanical"> <input type=hidden name="Stop_Status" value="Active"> <input type=hidden name="Cycle_Number" value="0"> <input type=hidden name="Success_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id310.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Failure_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id309.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Notes" value="Added from opt-in form"> Email : <input type=text name="Email" value=""><br> <input type=submit value="Submit"> </form>   </B></div> <div> <B>[ Opens a new window. ]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Privacy Policy</U></B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> :</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a000000000.png" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We do not publish or share your email address with anyone.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B>Return to Herbal Products.</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><B>Return to Articles.</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>