The concept of integrating indigenous knowledge systems into the national healthcare framework was discussed extensively at a recently held Congress.
About 300 delegates from 22 countries were in attendance at the four-day congress, organized by the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Division of Medicinal Plant Sciences in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.
This year marked the 23rd international congress of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology (ISE) and the second international congress of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society (APSS).
The ISE-APSS 2024 congress, took place at the end of October at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, and focussed on natural product research based on ethnobotanical practices in South African institutions and other African countries, including Cameroon, Nigeria, Swaziland and Uganda.
Themed ‘The Footprint of Ethnopharmacology in Drug Discovery’ the congress discussed current and future research in traditional systems of medicine and the role of natural products in modern drug discovery.
In her welcoming address, congress host and chairperson Professor Namrita Lall, President of the ISE and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)-National Research Foundation (NRF), said medicinal plants have played a significant and immeasurable role in healthcare for centuries, offering a rich source of natural phytochemicals with therapeutic properties.
“Their importance lies not only in their profound historical use, but also in their immense potential for modern drug discovery and development.”
Professor Sunil Maharaj, UP’s Vice-Principal for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education, said the role of natural resources in the development of potential therapies is emmense.
“There is a pressing need for natural alternatives and considering the fact that a multitude of conventional pharmaceuticals have been developed from natural product scaffolds, exploration of this avenue provides a much-needed opportunity to circumvent the challenges of crippling conventional therapies,” said Maharaj.
UP said in a statement, traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medical systems are integrated into the national health systems of China and India, respectively, according to an article by Chabalala et al (2021).
However, due to a lack of systematisation frameworks, this is not the case for African traditional medicines in Africa.
The article refers to the DSI’s transdisciplinary model, which aims to integrate indigenous African knowledge systems as the basis of all knowledge production and utilisation within the national system of innovation.
This could be done by promoting integral research and development.