This conference was attended by 550 persons from five continents. Representatives from traditional medicine organizations, research and academic institutions, physicians, journalists, policy makers and persons living with HIV/AIDS composed the working group which addressed the multiple issues of the involvement and role of traditional healers in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

A Report from the International Conference on Medical Plants & Communities in Africa

The conference was generously supported by UNAIDS, the Commonwealth Foundation, the World Bank and other sponsors.  The conference took place at the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, from 16-19 May 2000 as an official parallel session to the Fifth Conference of Parties (COP-5) to the Convention on Biological Diversity. 

Narrative Report on Attendance at the PROMETRA Workshop for Traditional Healers

This report is intended to fulfill the obligations between Quinton Fredericks and the Institute for International Education in respect of the contractual agreement entered into. It not an exhaustive account of all the proceedings of the aforementioned events but will reflect my observations, opinions and biases as they are presented.

African Medicinal and Indigenous Food Plants and The Role Of Traditional Medicine In Health Care - The symposium on African medicinal and indigenous food plants and the role of  traditional medicine in health care was held at the Science Education Centre of the University of Swaziland, Kwaluseni from 4 – 6 October, 1999.  The symposium was organised by the Swaziland Centre for research in medicinal and indigenous food plants.

WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005 - Traditional, complementary and alternative medicines attract the full spectrum of reactions from uncritical enthusiasm to uninformed skepticism. Yet use of traditional medicine (TM) remains widespread in developing countries, while use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing rapidly in developed countries. In many parts of the world, policy-makers, health professionals and the public are wrestling with questions about the safety, efficacy, quality, availability, preservation and further development of this type of health care. It is therefore timely for WHO to define its role in TM/CAM by developing a strategy to address issues of policy, safety, efficacy, quality, access and rational use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. www.traditionalcultureproject.org

Coumba Lamba, USA - An African Traditional Healing Ceremony, held in gathering Native Americans. Coumba Lamba USA was a culmination of trends in the health care arena to learn more aboutancient and traditional healing practices from other cultures. This desire reflected an increasing interest in delving into healing paradigms beyond the purely curative ones. By bringing together African and Native American healers, Coumba Lamba USA inaugurated a trend to unite traditional knowledge practitioners and advocates from different parts of the world. This development will have significant ramifications as the world strives to meet the health care challenges of the new millennium.