26000 Bricks for Africa

WHO efforts in promoting safe, effective and affordable traditional medicine

The World Health Organization launched its first ever comprehensive traditional medicine strategy in 2002. The strategy is designed to assist countries to:

• Develop national policies on the evaluation and regulation of T/CAM practices;
• Create a stronger evidence base on the safety, efficacy and quality of the T/CAM products and practices;
• Ensure availability and affordability of TM/CAM including essential herbal medicines;
• Promote therapeutically sound use of TM/CAM by providers and consumers;
• Document traditional medicines and remedies.

At present, WHO is supporting clinical studies on antimalarials in three African countries; the studies are revealing good potential for herbal antimalarials.

Other collaboration is taking place with Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in the research and evaluation of herbal treatments for HIV/ AIDS, malaria, sickle cell anaemia and Diabetes Mellitus.

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