Canada to Participate in the Decade for African Traditional Medicine.

Business Editors

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2001

Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) welcomes the launch of the 2001-2010 Decade for African Traditional Medicine by the Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

The members of the summit, which took place July 9-11, in Lusaka, Zambia, unanimously supported the proposal by the Council of Ministers of the OAU.

"Our efforts to sensitize African governments regarding this core issue have been successful," commented Dr Francois Gasengayire, program officer at IDRC's Nairobi office. "This decision was vital for the health of African populations who, because of their lack of resources, depend largely on traditional medicine and medicinal plants."

To the majority of rural populations in developing countries, medicinal plants are a precious resource. This is especially true in Africa where more than 80 percent of the population depends upon medicinal plants for health care. Because of meagre revenue, lack of modern health infrastructures and traditional customs, medicinal plants are a major asset. They are also an immeasurable resource for the pharmaceutical industry. It is estimated that 25 percent of medications produced and marketed in the world are derived from plants.

To ensure conscientious use of these crucial resources, IDRC is working with a variety of partners in the creation of an African network on the diversity of medicinal plants. "We must rationalize efforts and promote the exchange of information between the many actors - research institutions, pharmaceutical industry, NGOs, small businesses, governments, etc - if we are to conserve these riches," says Dr Gasengayire. The large number of stakeholders involved, the issues and the challenges, both locally and internationally, gave rise to the network concept.

"The stock of medicinal plants continues to deplete at an alarming rate due to environmental degradation and human activity. And the knowledge passed down from one generation to the next is disappearing as fast as the precious plant varieties," points out Dr Gasengayire, an expert in the field of natural products chemistry. Deforestation to meet agricultural and domestic energy needs, the increased use of these plants in traditional medicine, inappropriate harvesting methods, commercialization and a growing demand on the market are all factors that threaten the sustainability of this biodiversity. "And we know to what extent Africa needs these resources to meet its numerous health care challenges - malaria and AIDS, to name only two."

Since 1990, IDRC has supported 76 research activities directly related to the field of medicinal plants in developing countries, contributing nearly CA $11 million. For example, the TRAMIL - TRaditional Medicine for the IsLands - network, created in 1994, covers Central America, from Belize to Panama, and links researchers from more than 20 countries. Among its many goals, TRAMIL aims to guarantee the safety, effectiveness and accessibility of natural medicine to local populations. In addition, the objective of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program in Asia (MAPPA), which was established in 1993 by IDRC, is to enhance the equitable and sustainable use of these plants in Asia. The program supports strategic research, aids in the creation of partnerships among the key stakeholders, including donors, and enhances regional and international networking. In Uganda, a project involving medicinal plants and biodiversity has been pursuing similar objectives since 1994.

Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a Crown corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help scientists and communities in the developing world to find solutions to their social, economic and environmental problems through research.