Volume 6, Issue 6, December 2014, Pages 692
Evidence-based, sustainable traditional medicines – Debunking the myths
Natural
products based on traditional medicines offer a foundation and basis
for health care in the world. As a core ethical issue, these traditional
medicines must be demonstrated to be safe, effective, and consistent,
based on contemporary evidence. In addition, their accessibility
(availability of the plant and affordability of the product) must be
assured for integration into a health care system. Evidence-based
initiatives proposed by WHO/WPRO in the Regional Strategy for
Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific 2011–2020 and by WHO in the
Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 seek to address these and other
concerns.
As the
globalization of traditional medicines continues, a paradigm shift is
necessary to address at least fourteen myths (so far!) associated with
traditional medicines to meet evolving patient expectations and
regulatory standards. This presentation will discuss these myths, and
describe some recent botanical, chemical, biological, and clinical
studies which can serve to provide evidence to overcome them.
Considerations
of long-term traditional medicine use are embodied within
“ecopharmacognosy”, the study of sustainable, biologically active,
natural resources. This is an important new scientific consciousness for
long-term global health care and to assure beneficial patient outcomes
through the application of new, integrated initiatives. Selected
examples of the application of ecopharmacognosy principles to
traditional medicine research and natural product drug discovery will be
presented.
Copyright © 2014 Published by Elsevier GmbH
