Africa's Tradition of Herbal Medicine Herbal medicine is part of a popular system of health care in Africa, practiced by traditional healers, that takes into consideration the socio-cultural background of the people. In addition to herbal medicine, massage, therapeutic dieting and fasting, hydrotherapy, and radiant healing therapy are often among the other components of traditional medicine practices in Africa. However, given the great diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and geographical regions within Africa, it is extremely difficult to make generalizations about African herbal medicine. Although modern medicine has contributed to the notion of herbal medicines as being primitive and less effective than the great drugs of contemporary society, there is a strong tradition of herbal practices in Africa that dates back to the earliest times. In fact, being the continent with the greatest variety of herbal traditions, Africa has a long and impressive list of medicinal herbs based on local knowledge. As a continent rich in plant diversity, there are thousands of different wild and locally grown medicinal plants available throughout Africa. In South Africa alone, there are over 30 000 different species of flowering plants! Among the herbs commonly used in African herbal medicine traditions are the following: pellitory, senna, aloe vera, devil’s claw, myrrh, coffee, buchu, calumba, kola nut, and grains of paradise. While Africa has thousands of its own medicinal plants at its disposal, African herbal medicine also incorporates herbs from many other countries. Given Africa’s history of trade with China, Australia, and Europe, as well as its more recent influence from the modern Western world, African herbal medicine has been able to incorporate knowledge and plants from many other cultures into its practices, resulting in a system that uses the best of many different traditions of herbal medicine. Therefore, in the lenaka, the medicine chest of the African traditional healer, there can be found herbs from all over the world, each chosen for its specific properties. Although conventional Western medicine is well established in most parts of Africa, large sectors of the African population still rely on herbs for their daily medicinal needs. For example, this is especially the case in rural areas in developing African countries for which modern medicines are too expensive and not consistently available, as well as the more remote areas of Africa where nomadic peoples practice herbal traditions that remain largely unaffected by the changes and advances of contemporary medicine. In these areas, as is the case throughout Africa, plants are used in medicinal (as well as spiritual, symbolic, and ritual) ways to treat illnesses and promote health, good fortune, and happiness. While some may continue to be skeptical about a health care system that places such importance on herbal medicines, there is reason to believe that the herbal remedies used by millions of Africans offer important benefits. According to Dr. Sekagya Yahaya Hills, a modern dentist and traditional healer who practices in Uganda, there are signs that some of the herbal remedies offered by the healers may be effective as well as affordable. For example, long-term studies using a combination of different African herbal medicines have yielded positive results. For more information about Dr. Hills and the importance of African herbal medicine, see the story Recognition and Respect for African Traditional Medicine written by Bob Stanley for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). An Uncertain Future? Despite any lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of African herbal medicine traditions, the majority people in Africa still rely on herbs as an important part of their health care. While the demand for medicinal herbs increases in as the African population grows ever bigger, medicinal plants in Africa may face any uncertain future due to the threat posed by over-exploitation. Unsustainable harvesting and loss of habitat have been among the major threats to medicinal plants identified by concerned organizations and individuals. In order to ensure that herbal medicine continues to play an important role in African health care, it is necessary that efforts are made to protect these plants which are not only valuable for their medicinal properties, but are also key components of biodiversity and are vital to the sustainability of ecosystems.