INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC MDICINAL PLANTS: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARALLEL INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE TRADE AND CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS, RABAT, MOROCCO, 2-4 MAY 2002.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC MDICINAL PLANTS:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARALLEL INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE TRADE AND CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS, RABAT, MOROCCO, 2-4 MAY 2002.

Workshop organised by Conserve Africa International, London, UK

In collaboration with the Moroccan Network for the Valorisation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Rabat, Morocco and;

*Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), University of Oslo
(UiO), Norway;
*International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada
*Denzil Phillips International, London, UK
*Essential Nutrition Ltd, UK
*The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Rabat, Morocco;

OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

THEME I: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY FOR PHYTOMEDICINES DEVELOPMENT
RECOGNITION, IMPROVEMENT AND PROMOTION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

I.EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN PUBLIC HEALTH CARE:

1. Integration of Health care
* Integration between traditional healers & medical doctors.
* Improving the state of the nation's health.
* Improving training methods.
* Improving quality.
* Benefits to patients.

2.Collaboration between traditional practitioners & medical doctors provides;
* Better links between the patients' medical doctors & traditional medicine practitioners
* Improvement through monitoring the performance of traditional practitioners
* Improvement of safety & quality of traditional medicine
* Increase in patients` confidence in traditional medicine
* Establishment of training methods for new practitioners
* Monitoring continual professional development for both parties
* Providing a basis for collecting data for medical statistics
* Establishment of associations are recommended to provide professional protection to traditional healers
* Ensure conservation of traditional knowledge & sustainable use of natural resources

The example (Malian experience):
* Legalisation of the traditional medicine system.
* Validation of traditional medicine efficiency & safety.
* Integration of traditional medicine & conventional medicine by mutual education.

RECOMMENDATION:
The meeting recommends the setting up integrated health systems
II. Research Developments and Technology
* Small scale manufacturing technology exists
* Improves and standardises Traditional Medicines
* Many advantages to patients
* National Formulary can be developed
* Quality control can be gradually developed
* Good integration possible with other groups and stakeholders

The example (Kenyan experience)
Mobile Pharmacy Training Production unit supplied to (SAMTECH) Kenya

RECOMMENDATION:
*Establish pilot/small scale herbal processing units.
*Develop Quality Control /Quality Assurance mechanisms to enhance the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal remedies sold on the local market
*Support for technology transfer in the field of medicinal plants and herbal medicines

THEME II: MEDICINAL PLANTS: USES AND SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION
The sustainability of medicinal plants is under threat from economic growth, urbanization and poverty and it is recommended that there be:

1. National MP biological inventories and in situ and ex situ conservation
The examples:

i.Botanical Gardens International
ii.FRLHT India (medicinal plant conservation areas)
iii.TRAFFIC International
iv. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)

RECOMMENDATION:

* Carry out more regular updating of inventories, species' status monitoring and conservation including cultivation, which does not conflict with the socio-economic status of wild-harvesting communities.
* Undertake community-based in-situ conservation and management activities of ecosystems with high medicinal plant species diversity;
*Develop sustainable harvesting guidelines of wild medicinal resources;
*Identify and develop cultivation/propagation practices;
*Intensify documentation of the medicinal use of African herbs in form of monographs and/or pharmacopoeia. Information should include data on plants species, uses of plant parts, indications etc.
*Support programmes encouraging the preservation of genetic resources and the expansion of regional and international genetic resource institutes (gene banks), botanical gardens to include medicinal plant collections

2. PLANT ECOLOGY AND BIOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING METHODS

The examples:
i. Mount Cameroon Project for sustainable harvesting - Prunus africana
ii. Kwazulu Natal Provincial Government for sustainable harvest training

RECOMMENDATION:
More training of collectors on plant ecology and biology and sustainable harvesting methods

3. 'Sustainable harvest' labelling
The examples
i. UK Soil Association for draft Wild Harvesting Certification
ii. WHO for draft medicinal plant Sourcing GMP
iii. Devil's claw in Namabia

RECOMMENDATION
Development of international 'Sustainable harvest' labeling.
4. Fair Trade systems.

The examples:
i. Rain Forest Foods
ii. WELEDA of Switzerland
iii. FAIR of Denmark

RECOMMENDATION

*Social sustainability through the development of Fair Trade systems related to MPs.

*Find mechanisms to disseminate technical and economic information on the production and trade in medicinal plants from outside centres of herbal research and development
*Develop product specifications for key medicinals that are appropriate to different markets and end users
*Encourage regional co-operation between producers and processors of medicinal plants in order to reap the benefits of economies of scale needed for value added activities
* Develop trade promotion programmes that help local producers and exporters raise their profile on international markets

THEME III: TRADE, INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, BIOPROSPECTING AND BENEFIT SHARING.

1. Legalisation of Traditional Medicine

Recommendations

* The governments are encouraged take responsibility of legalisation of traditional medicine;
* Create an institution to certify as traditional healers or herbalists;
* Establish specific conditions that persons have to meet to be certified.

2. Establishing a distinction between specialised and common knowledge in traditional medicine
- Common knowledge: Wide-spread knowledge, not secret, used by large number of people, as to which it is wide-spread agreement on the use of the species or set of species. This knowledge might more appropriately be designated as "public knowledge".

- In contrast to public knowledge of medicinal plants, specialised or secret knowledge held by one or a few individuals.

- Much of common or public traditional knowledge focuses on treatment of the most frequently occurring diseases and health problems in a particular region: such as gastro-intestinal diseases, respiratory conditions, malaria and skin infections.

RECOMMENDATIONS

* Those common species used to treat the most frequently occurring diseases in any particular region should be targeted for agro-ecological / horticultural improvement.

3. Establish Legislation for Access to Genetic Resources
Recommendations
* Countries should enforce their sovereign rights over genetic resources by authorising an institution to certify prior informed consent at the national level;

* In respect of local rights to genetic resources and medicinal plants, this national authority or institution should certify that prior informed consent of local and indigenous communities has been achieved as a condition for granting access;
* When establishing an institution authorised to grant access each country should apply a participatory process, ensuring that all stakeholders' interests are included in the discussions;
* By establishing such authority the "bioprospector" has a clear counterpart for concluding an agreement with local communities to carry out particular projects;
*Establishing such a legal system is a first step in balancing access to genetic resources towards intellectual property rights.
*Establish an appropriate mechanism for the effective involvement of indigenous and local communities in redefining and monitoring intellectual property rights in the context of traditional medicine.

CAPACITY BUILDING:
*Information dissemination, networking, education and awareness raising programs;

*Co-ordinating and catalyzing the existing activities relating to medicinal plants and traditional health systems at the regional level.


Posted by:

Nicole de La Victoire
Information and Commucation Officer
Conserve Africa International
E-mail: info@conserveafrica.org
www.conserveafrica.org