Medicinal Plants And Traditional Medicine In Africa

The inaccessibility of biomedicine to most of Africa's population because of escalating costs has necessitated a search for alternative ways of managing illnesses. Traditional medicine, which has always been practised in the indigenous cultures, is fast filling this therapeutic gap. This book is a collection of essays based on a multidisciplinary approach to traditional medicine in Africa. It has contributions from social scientists, natural resource experts, traditional medical practitioners, educationists, and medical scholars. It attempts to define the problems of traditional medicine in Africa, while also discussing the conceptual foundations of African ethnomedicine and medical pluralism.

A Contextual Exploration of Phytomedicines’ Development in Africa comprises nine chapters, which focus on the critical role of medicinal plants in healthcare delivery on the African continent. The book begins with how phytomedicines can stimulate access to quality healthcare for socioeconomic development, and then discusses research and development efforts in Traditional Medicine for achieving universal health coverage in the African Region as well as approaches for producing sustainable, quality and safe phytomedicines. In an attempt to highlight some of the socio-anthropological aspects of plant medicines, the book takes a brief look at the ecological link between nature and phytomedicines, and concludes with a discussion of the critical factors for effective promotion and sustainability of African Traditional Medicine.

Medicinal Plants of East Africa is a revised edition of the book first published in 1976 on herbal remedies and he traditional medical practice of East Africa. The book covers the rich diversity of plants found in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, from sea to alpine plants. East Africa also has a rich ethnic diversity and a large number of herbalists whose traditional knowledge and practices are also covered in the book. Over 1500 species are described and for the first time over 200 of these herbs have been illustrated. Also included are maps detailing where the herbs were collected and an ethnographic map detailing the tribes of each herbalist whose knowledge is contained in the book. John Kokwaro is an Eminent Professor of Botany and a research specialist on herbal remedies at the University of Nairobi.

With over 50,000 distinct species in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the African continent is endowed with an enormous wealth of plant resources. While more than 25 percent of known species have been used for several centuries in traditional African medicine for the prevention and treatment of diseases, Africa remains a minor player in the global natural