African traditional medicines should be taken seriously,

[Guest guest]

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System

Date: 09 Jun 2006

Title: African traditional medicines should be taken seriously, says

minister

By Masango, tel: (012) 314-2230

Johannesburg - Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has made a

case for the use of traditional African medicines, comparing them to

traditional Asian medicines which have come to be taken seriously by

the public.

She spoke out against people who " scorned " African medicines'

capabilities, saying similar traditional medicines from other

countries such as China and India filled the shelves of many stores

in the country and people were buying and using them.

The minister was speaking at a conference in Benoni where medical

experts met to discuss the inclusion of traditional medicine into

the South Africa's health system.

The list of delegates includes policymakers, researchers, medical

practitioners, traditional health practitioners and government

officials from India, China, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania,

Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as scientists from the pharmaceutical

industry, Medical Research Council (MRC) and Medicine Control

Council (MCC).

Addressing the gathering, minister Tshabalala-Msimang emphasised the

importance of traditional medicine in the health system, saying that

knowledge in that regard had to be preserved and passed on from

generation to generation.

She told them not to " cast aside something we have been doing for

centuries " but to work to recognise and institutionalise traditional

medicine.

" Understanding that we are Africans with a particular history dating

back several centuries, we need to pay attention to those things

that sustained the health of Africans throughout our history of

denied access to health and other basic services.

" We need to invest resources and efforts into the research and

development of African traditional medicine which was suppressed

through years of colonialism, " said the minister.

Dr Tshabalala-Msimang also told the meeting that in understanding

the weaknesses of heath systems, it was important to pool and

consolidate available resources to respond to the complex burden of

diseases including HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria amongst

others.

She said the immediate challenge was to combine all the " rich "

knowledge in traditional medicine towards a common set of priorities.

These, she said, should include intensifying research results that

support the production of safe, efficient and quality traditional

medicine; developing models and strategy to include traditional

medicine in the health system as well as developing an intellectual

property regime that dealt with the unique situation of protection

of traditional medicine knowledge.

Speaking at the gathering on behalf of the African Union (AU)

Commissioner Alpha Konare, Head of Health Division Dr T Bisika

assured delegates that the AU fully supported the development and

use of traditional medicine.

He said Africa had to increase its capacity to produce and use

traditional medicine, which is primarily used in rural areas.

" The use of traditional medicine in Africa is also a way of ensuring

community participation in the health of people because it also

involves amongst others people's heritage and traditional beliefs.

We must therefore preserve the knowledge and use of these

medicines, " he said.

Mr Bisika highlighted the significance of the meeting because the AU

had declared 2001-2010 as the Decade of Traditional Medicine,

assuring the delegates that resolutions reached would be considered

at the AU's highest level. - BuaNews

[Guest guest]

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System

Date: 09 Jun 2006

Title: African traditional medicines should be taken seriously, says

minister

By Masango, tel: (012) 314-2230

Johannesburg - Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has made a

case for the use of traditional African medicines, comparing them to

traditional Asian medicines which have come to be taken seriously by

the public.

She spoke out against people who " scorned " African medicines'

capabilities, saying similar traditional medicines from other

countries such as China and India filled the shelves of many stores

in the country and people were buying and using them.

The minister was speaking at a conference in Benoni where medical

experts met to discuss the inclusion of traditional medicine into

the South Africa's health system.

The list of delegates includes policymakers, researchers, medical

practitioners, traditional health practitioners and government

officials from India, China, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania,

Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as scientists from the pharmaceutical

industry, Medical Research Council (MRC) and Medicine Control

Council (MCC).

Addressing the gathering, minister Tshabalala-Msimang emphasised the

importance of traditional medicine in the health system, saying that

knowledge in that regard had to be preserved and passed on from

generation to generation.

She told them not to " cast aside something we have been doing for

centuries " but to work to recognise and institutionalise traditional

medicine.

" Understanding that we are Africans with a particular history dating

back several centuries, we need to pay attention to those things

that sustained the health of Africans throughout our history of

denied access to health and other basic services.

" We need to invest resources and efforts into the research and

development of African traditional medicine which was suppressed

through years of colonialism, " said the minister.

Dr Tshabalala-Msimang also told the meeting that in understanding

the weaknesses of heath systems, it was important to pool and

consolidate available resources to respond to the complex burden of

diseases including HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria amongst

others.

She said the immediate challenge was to combine all the " rich "

knowledge in traditional medicine towards a common set of priorities.

These, she said, should include intensifying research results that

support the production of safe, efficient and quality traditional

medicine; developing models and strategy to include traditional

medicine in the health system as well as developing an intellectual

property regime that dealt with the unique situation of protection

of traditional medicine knowledge.

Speaking at the gathering on behalf of the African Union (AU)

Commissioner Alpha Konare, Head of Health Division Dr T Bisika

assured delegates that the AU fully supported the development and

use of traditional medicine.

He said Africa had to increase its capacity to produce and use

traditional medicine, which is primarily used in rural areas.

" The use of traditional medicine in Africa is also a way of ensuring

community participation in the health of people because it also

involves amongst others people's heritage and traditional beliefs.

We must therefore preserve the knowledge and use of these

medicines, " he said.

Mr Bisika highlighted the significance of the meeting because the AU

had declared 2001-2010 as the Decade of Traditional Medicine,

assuring the delegates that resolutions reached would be considered

at the AU's highest level. - BuaNews