International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Rabat, Morocco, 2-4 May 2002.
WORKING PAPER
1
Medicinal Plants and Herbal
Medicine:
Challenges and Opportunities
Introduction
Information relating to medicinal plants and herbal medicine
can be found in documents and databases aimed at readers in a wide range of
disciplines including botany, ecology, chemistry, medicine, veterinary science,
etc. However there are few publications reporting current work or reviewing and
analysing recent advances. Access to relevant information by the public,
decision makers and local communities is still very limited.
The
Convention on Biological Diversity, an international treaty that has been
signed by more than 160 member states of the United Nations provides an
international legal framework for the conservation of biological diversity
including access to and exchange of genetic materials. While many different
approaches are being tried to minimize the loss of biodiversity, the reduction
of habitat loss and its accompanying loss of biocultural diversity are still
unfortunately some way off.
The
need for internationally agreed methodologies for giving effect to the equity
provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is now widely
recognized. The issue of benefit sharing has received considerable attention
during the last decade. Many developing countries are behind the rest of the
world in the development of national policies with respect to access to genetic
resources and trade in medicinal plants. Appropriate strategies to increase
awareness of policy makers and donors about the need for sustainable use and
conservation medicinal plants and herbal medicine, can complement research
efforts aimed to achieve this objective.
Article
15 of CBD recognizes that "States have sovereign rights over their own
biological resources". It also recognizes "the close and traditional
dependence of many indigenous and local communities embodying traditional
lifestyles on biological resources, and the desirability of sharing equitably
benefits arising from the use of traditional knowledge, innovations and
practices relevant to the conservation of biological diversity and the
sustainable use of its components".
Article
8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) calls on the Contracting
Parties to respect, preserve and maintain the knowledge, innovations and
practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles.
It also calls for the equitable sharing of benefits arising form the
utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices. The issue of
integrating equity principles in benefit sharing arrangements has been under
the consideration of the Contracting Parties (COP) since the 3rd meeting of COP
held at Buenos Aires in 1966.
Herbal
medicine, in the estimate of the World Health Organization is used by up to 80%
of the population of most developing countries. These plant-based medicines are
used for primary health care needs.
Between 25-50% of modern drugs are derived from plants. Demand for
medicinal plants is increasing in both developing and developed countries. At
the same time, the bulk of the material traded still derives from wild-harvesting.
Only a very small number of species are cultivated.
Herbal
medicines and traditional healers are receiving attention from mainstream
health officials and international medical research and training institutions
as governments confront the high cost and inefficiencies of official health
programmes .
There
is growing recognition of the need for increased efforts to produce medicines
from plants in the South. A number of international organizations now support
projects and programmes in this area. There is still a need for substantial
support at the national level and regionally to promote medicinal plants,
herbal medicine and ethnopharmacology, and to assure that biological resources
are being harvested at a sustainable level.
Indigenous
Knowledge, Bioprospecting and Benefit Sharing:
The
absence of an internationally agreed methodology for sharing economic benefits
from the commercial exploitation of biodiversity with the primary conservers
and holders of traditional knowledge and information is leading to a growing
number of accusations of biopiracy committed by business and industry in
developing countries. Biodiversity in both developing and developed countries
has been accessed for a long time, for various purposes, by outside
researchers, private companies as well as local communities, with little or no
returns to conservation activities.
Bioprospecting
has been practised for many years in different forms but in more recent times
in particular with the development of CBD, the issue of sharing of benefits
arising from bio-prospecting has attained significance.
However,
certain critical issues remain unresolved, particularly in relation to how to
go about legalizing and formalizing the bio-prospecting process in a way which
ensures that there is full and prior informed consent of fair and equitable
benefit sharing with the originator of the knowledge and resource that enable
the bio-prospecting.
On the
other hand, traditionally, bioprospecting in developing countries has been the
preserve of field researchers in universities and botanical gardens. Indeed,
until recently, most bioprospectors in developing countries have been
individual professors or collectors who collected samples on contract with
foreign companies or sold samples left over from research expeditions. These
small-scale activities added little value to the biodiversity resource and in
any case, are now likely to be discouraged by national legislation implementing
the Biodiversity Convention.
There
has been a recent growth of interest in herbal medicine from the international
pharmaceutical industry, as well as from the national product industry in
Europe and America. Herbal medicine has become to be viewed by the
pharmaceutical industry as a source of "qualified leads" in the
identification of bioactive agents for use in the production of synthetic
modern drugs.
Bioprospectors
express optimism that they can help to implement the 1992 Convention on
Biological Diversity by encouraging biodiversity, conservation and stimulating
capacity building in developing countries. Many indigenous people and local
communities however, are sceptical of existing bioprospecting agreements.
Those
concerned with the development of bio-resources for human health recognise that
when local custodians of biodiversity benefit from their sustainable use by
others, conservation opportunities increase. The CBD codifies this
benefit-sharing principle, but the absence of applicable instruments to
equitably compensate all stakeholders within a country leaves it largely
untested.
Currently
this aspect of the debate on access and benefit sharing has not received much
attention, as the focus has been on the development and establishment of
policies and legislation. It is clear that many local and indigenous
communities will not be able to go through this process alone and would need
assistance and capacity development.
Many
legal and practical problems relating to protection of IPR remain yet to be
fully understood and addressed: the collective ownership/custodianship of
herbal medicine; the problem of ownership and exercise of rights in traditional
medicinal knowledge which exists across different countries in a region;
practical means for the exercise and management of rights; mechanisms for
application of customary law to protection of herbal medicine; and the need for
comprehensive documentation standards, for herbal medicine.
In
order to achieve better understanding and wider consensus of these issues it is
necessary to address basic conceptual problems and test practical solutions to
the protection of herbal medicine. There is a need to continue debate with true
stakeholders-practitioners of herbal medicine, representatives of the medical
community, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, intergovernmental
organizations, etc. Lasting solutions can only be found if all stakeholders
work together in good faith and bring their specific expertise and experience
towards a common understanding and solution of the problems.
Constraints
in developing herbal medicine:
A
large portion of the population in a number of developing countries still
relies mainly on traditional practitioners, including traditional birth
attendants, herbalists and bone-setters, and local medicinal plants to satisfy
their primary health care needs. Practices involving use of herbal medicine
vary greatly form country to country and from region to region as they are
influenced by factors such as culture, mentality and philosophy.
Despite
its existence over many centuries and its expansive use during the last decade,
in most countries, herbal medicine, including herbal medicines has not yet been
officially recognized, and in most countries the regulations and registration
of herbal medicines have not been well established.
Furthermore
research and training activities for herbal medicine has not received due
support and attention. As a result, the quantity and quality of safety and
efficacy data are far from sufficient to meet the demands for the use of herbal
medicine in the world. Safety and efficacy data exist only in respect of much
smaller number of plants and their extracts and active ingredients, as well as
preparations containing them.
Reasons
for the lack of research data involve not only policy problems, but also the
research methodology for evaluating herbal medicine. There is literature and
data on the research of herbal medicine in various countries, but all
scientists may not accept them. There is a need for validation and
standardization of phytomedicines and traditional medical practices so that
this sector can be accorded its rightful place in the health care system.
As the
characteristics and applications of herbal medicine are quite different form
western medicine, how to evaluate herbal medicine and what kind of academic
research approaches and methods may be used to evaluate the safety and efficacy
of herbal medicine are new challenges which have emerged in recent years.
Along
with increased interest in medicine is an increased interest in the safety
aspects of the practice of herbal medicine. Private sector involved in the
business of herbal drugs should take responsibility and ensure the safety and
efficacy of the preparations that they put on the market.
The
Role of the Private Sector:
The
private sector (e.g. biotechnology industry) plays a crucial role in developing
economic activities relating to herbal bioprospecting, using the skills and
knowledge of local peoples and compensating them for their knowledge.
Governments can promote such involvement, by improving co-operation between
public organizations and companies established to improve biotechnology
research and training, providing incentives for private companies to contribute
to biodiverstity, and establishing policies, which promote the involvement of
the private sector in biodiversity conservation.
In the
last few years developing countries have felt the increasing pressure of what
has now become known as bioprospecting and biopiracy. The pressure has come
especially in the sector of herbal medicine. Given the fact that in most
countries, very little legislation is in place, civil society groups and
governments have reacted increasingly strongly. Communities are looking for
concrete short-term benefits and, in most cases, monetary benefits. Therefore
they would not be interested in long drawn out access and benefit agreements.
There is a need for funding agencies and bioprospectors to start funding the
communities or the service providers to communities to work through the process
of value addition to both potential and existing products, through a bottom up
approach.
Research:
There are still gaps in knowledge of how
traditional knowledge systems of health work, their limitations and prospects.
There is lack of understanding of cosmovisions of traditional healers and of
the links between spiritual and traditional healing. Successful experiences and
approaches on conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants are still
rare.
With regard to research aspects pertaining to
medicinal plants, herbal medicine and local communities; a number of questions
are still unanswered: Which traditional remedies work, which have been tested
and how? How should herbal medicine knowledge, practices and preparations be
validated at the community level, using what methods and facilities? How should herbal medicines be standardized
at local and traditional healer levels, using what methods and facilities?
Under which conditions does herbal medicine work best? Who uses it and under which conditions? To what extent do local communities accept
herbal medicine practices? What has been
done to promote mutual understanding and professional respect between western
doctors and traditional doctors? Which
aspects of herbal medicine can be combined with western style medicine and how?
Have all major medicinal plants been identified and documented? What has been lost? What is remaining? Are traditional knowledge systems relating to
sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants clearly understood? Are gender issues properly taken into
consideration? How can traditional
methods be incorporated in research agenda?
How should local and traditional knowledge contribute to the propagation and sustainable use and conservation of medicinal
plants? What are the limitations and
potentials of spiritual beliefs relating to traditional healing systems? What are
cultural practices and beliefs that are supportive of the conservation
and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants? What effective agro-ecological methods that
enhance propagation and cultivation of specific medicinal plants?
A
coherent research agenda will need to address:
Health
- Safety and efficacy of traditional
remedies.
-Appropriate research methodology,
standardization of herbal medicines.
- Utilization of herbal medicine -
reasons, demographics, economics, etc.
- Who uses it and under which conditions?
Medicinal practices?
-Promotion of mutual understanding and
professional collaboration between modern and traditional doctors?
-
Basis for integration of services.
-.Information management (database of
studies, critical analysis, dissemination of findings - drawing upon existing
resources);
-.Development of appropriate quality
assessment and control methodologies and standards;
-.Research systems (new methodologies,
clinical trials, traditional models);
-Risk and benefit assessment (including
pre-clinical work, safety/toxicity/drug interaction issues, and efficacy);
- Consumer usage patterns and impact on
the health care system.
Biodiversity
Ethnobotanical surveys and Red Data Book
status of medicinal plants.
Studies of indigenous conservation and use of
medicinal plants.
Effective agro-ecological methods that enhance
propagation and cultivation
of
specific medicinal plants.
Social
dimension:
Gender issues in medicinal plant use,
conservation and cultivation.
The role of spiritual beliefs in traditional
healing systems.
Priority
Issues that need special attention include:
a) The
place and contribution of herbal medicine in primary health care, with
particular attention to priority diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB; e.g.
gaps between the finality of current research with regard to public health
concerns and local communities needs and priorities.
b) The
global context (bioprospecting, IPR, TRIPs, CBD, etc): Implications for
promotion of the sector; e. g protection of traditional knowledge and practices
relating to the uses of medicinal plants and herbal medicines.
c)
Sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants: The contribution of forests in community
health care (e.g. linkages between forestry and health, destruction of forest
and its impacts and consequences to the health of people, various ways in which
the health of people is affected through the destruction of forests, etc.);
d)
Propagation and domestication of medicinal plants (e.g. successful experiences at the village
level), over harvesting and controlled harvesting, resource management;
e)
Economic and policy incentives and legal tools for conservation and sustainable
use (e.g. encouraging private sector, researchers and local communities);
f)
Commercialisation and economic value of medicinal plants at the community
level: The economics and prospects of small scale derived drug industry (status of medicinal plants production,
marketing, markets and value-added processing);
g)
Strategies to enhance income generation and benefit sharing from medicinal
plants and herbal medicine;
h)
Integration of herbal medicine and public health programmes and systems;
i).
Spiritual and cultural values that are supportive to medicinal plants
conservation, traditional healing and practices;
j)
Tools, mechanisms and strategies to enhance information exchange, co-operation
and collaboration.
k)
Benefit sharing and development of and collaboration with indigenous peoples
and local communities (mechanisms,
models and case studies);
l)
Options for national policies and legislation to access genetic resources and
legal and financial aspects related to benefit sharing;
m)
Prospects for private sector participation in Biodiversity Prospecting in
developing countries.
n)
Options for legislation, policies and incentives to add value to medicinal
plant genetic resources and increase capacity in bioprospecting;
o)
Improvement of the multidisciplinary information on medicinal plants needed for
conservation, agriculture, primary health-care and manufacturing activities;
p) The
economic significance of traditional medicinal knowledge and systems;
q) The
enhancement of medicinal plant usage through intellectual property rights,
capacity building and information technology and transfer;
r)
Developing and using indigenous and traditional knowledge for promoting
bioprospecting for the benefit of all stakeholders involved;
s)
Mechanism, strategies, partnership and co-operation for encouraging
bioprospecting-based business in medicinal plants and phytomedicines;
Policy,
planning and legislation:
A
coherent national programme on Medicinal Plants should include the following
institutions:
·
Ministry of Health:
Formulation
of national policy, legislation, regulation and licensing, collection, analysis
and dissemination of information on medicinal plants, approval of selected
plant remedies for use by health services.
·
Ministry of Agriculture:
Cultivation
of medicinal plants (small and large-scale production), protection of
endangered species.
·
Universities:
Pharmacy:
Inventory
of indigenous medicinal plants and natural products, identification of
constituents of traditional remedies, pharmacological evaluation of medicinal
plants and natural products, identification of active substances, their
extraction and toxicity testing, dosage and formulation.
·
Clinical Medicine: Clinical trials and field testing
·
Public Health: Studies on indigenous remedies and their uses
(ethno-medicine), training of health personnel (manuals).
·
Botany: Cultivation of medicinal plants, Cloning and cell
culture, Taxonomy identification, studies on ethnobotany.
·
Pharmaceutical industry (government and private): pharmaceutical
development, processing and pilot production, trial marketing, full-scale
production.
·
Ministry of Trade: Assessment of local trade in medicinal
plants, exports and imports.
A National Strategy on Medicinal Plants
should highlight the following:
·
Assessment of the importance of herbal medicine in the country;
·
Current status of medicinal plants and herbal medicine at the
national level;
·
Activities and institutional framework;
·
Co-ordinating and implementing agencies; support of R&D;
·
Role of NGO's and traditional healers associations;
·
Respective roles of public and private sectors;
·
Actions and strategies to promote herbal medicine and medicinal
plants - list of most common medicinal
plants and their uses;
·
Efforts to integrate herbal medicine in official public health
systems: Advantages, disadvantages,
implications, obstacles, policy options and key players.
·
Lessons learnt and new perspectives:
Limitations and potentials
·
Future directions:
-
Research priorities, Technology transfer and capacity building;
-
Planning & Development, Policy options;
-
Information exchange and management;
-
Co-operative strategies and mechanisms;
VI. REFERENCES
-
Cunningham, A.B. 1993. African Medicinal Plants: setting priorities at the interface between conservation and primary health care. Working paper 1. UNESCO, Paris
.
-
LeBeau, D, 1998.
Urban patients' utilisation of herbal medicine: upholding culture and
Tradition, University of Namibia, Sociology Department Windhoek, Namibia.
-
Marshall, N.T., 1998. Searching for a Cure: Conservation of Medicinal Wildlife
Resources in East and Southern Africa. TRAFFIC International.
-
Nshimo C. 1888. Utilization and conservation
of medicinal plants in Africa, Faculty
of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania.
-
Myles Mander,
1998. The marketing of indigenous medicinal plants in south Africa: a case
study in Kwazulu-Natal, Institute of Natural Resources, Natural Resource
Management Programme,
South Africa.
-
Wambebe C, 1998. Development and
production of standardised phytomedicines, National Institute for
Pharmaceutical, Abuja, Nigeria.
-==
Prepard
by:
Conserve
Africa
No comments:
Post a Comment