Originally published January 29 2006
Kenyan researchers hope to bolster the reputation of herbal medicine
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has conducted studies and experiments in the interest of providing evidence to government officials that traditional herbal medicine can play a vital role in the country's healthcare system.
Over 80 per cent of the population living in rural areas in the developing countries depend on traditional medicine for health care needs, yet the practice has not been given its deserved place in the local societies.
According to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), whereas traditional health systems are locally accessible and culturally relevant, the government has concentrated on conventional medicine neglecting the role traditional medicine play.
This notwithstanding, the Centre for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research (CTMDR), a department in KEMRI, has taken various research on herbal.
Scientists at the centre, realizing the usefulness of traditional medicine in modern therapy, have undertaken to spend most of their time doing research in traditional medicine.
To this effect, herbal practitioners should be certified by a recognized body like the Mitishamba Drug Research Centre or KEMRI.
Current research activities at the centre focusing on identifying herbal remedies have demonstrated that most of the plants used have potential as medicine for the development of medicines for malaria and for opportunistic infections related to HIV and AIDS.
Kenyan medicinal plants are currently being tested for activity against Plasmodium falciparum, the bacterium that causes malaria and are showing very promising results.
Tests on the toxicity of the plant extracts have shown that the plant extracts are relatively safe at controlled doses.
The traditional medicine programme has tested an aqueous total extract preparation from the roots of a medicinal plant locally growing in Kenya that has exhibited remarkable response.
Fungal and bacteria infection screening process has also examined plant extracts against common infections on immuno-suppressed individuals with promising potential.
They have been reluctant in sharing their inventions for fear of being short-changed by big pharmaceutical companies as has been the tradition.
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