PREPARATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WRITTEN NATIONAL PHARMACOPEA OF MEDICINAL PLANTS THROUGH INVOLVEMENT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS

PREPARATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WRITTEN  NATIONAL PHARMACOPEA OF MEDICINAL PLANTS THROUGH INVOLVEMENT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS

DEFINITIONS:

Pharmacopoeia:  Different types in existence -i.e.  including different types of information and different modes of development
2 major types  can be identified:

·     Analytical pharmacopoeia

·     very detailed information on the phytochemical and biological properties

·     developed through extensive laboratory experimentation and analysis 

e.g. includes tissue-level and the “weight of burned matter/ashes”

·     Traditional pharmacopoeia: based largely on the documentation of traditional knowledge available on both the biological characteristics as well as the uses of the plants + support of this information through additional scientific data 

MAIN PROBLEM

Lack of comprehensive/written national; pharmacopoeia

OBJECTIVES

To establish a broadly accessible pharmacopoeia to assist all those concerned with medicinal plants.

STRATEGIES

·     Starting point!: refer to the African pharmacopoeia developed under the auspices of the OAU;

·     refer to other sources of relevant information: i.e. existing traditional documents 

·     devise a multidisciplinary approach in the gathering/analysis of information

·     national-level coordination of ongoing activities

·     identification of core/essential data required

·     identification of available resources (including human, financial, technical/infrastructural )

CONSTRAINTS/NEEDS

·     Achieving national level coordination: a challenging  undertaking in itself ! many different actors and interest groups in existence…\

·     Too many species to be addressed: need for prioritization!

·     Documentation technology/ expertise and facilities may be inadequate or lacking    

·     A large amount of information necessary

·     Overall: a time consuming endeavor !

 

ACTIVITIES

·     Establish a coordinating body/  “steering committee”

·     Establish a multidisciplinary research team

·     Evaluate the OAU pharmacopoeia’s relevance/adequacy for the country
( e.g. in terms of species coverage ; coverage of the major applications of the various plants)

·     Identify and collate key sources of other relevant information (databases; other pharmacopoeia)

·     Convene key actors involved : through a national workshop/meeting

·     to identify key areas for research

·     to agree on and implement the national  work plan

·     to set up regional groups

MAIN ACTORS

A. Formal sector oganizations/

1.    Research institutions/ Universities

2.    NGOs with specific objectives; interests; activities relevant to medicinal plants

3.    Community/ state herbaria

4.    Government bodies /parastatals 

5.    Pharmaceutical companies

6.    Hospitals and clinics

B. Specialists/ community members

7. Mothers

8. Traditional healers

9. Ethnopharmacologist/ Ethnobotanists/Medical anthropologist

10. Medical doctors; nurses

11.Public health workers/practitioners  (involved in preventive/ primary health care)

12. Botanists / Taxonomists/ Ecologists / Agronomist

13. Phytochemists /Pharmacologist/ Toxicologists /

16. “Documentalists”; (information technology expertise )