Development of ethical phytomedicines for Togo, West Africa

The use of traditional remedies based on plant, animal and mineral extracts is a common practice in West African countries, especially in the rural areas where approximately 70-80% of the population lives. In Togo for example, ethnobotanical surveys indicate uses for >350 species of plants, 24 species of animals and 5 mineral preparations. (Adajanohoun et al. 1996). The remedies are prepared by healers, according to their ancestral knowledge. The healers are well known in their villages and the population has a great regard for most of them. In Togo, they often have their own clinics and are well organized into a national association.

A symposium paper on the development of ethical phytomedicines in Togo based on natural ingredients extracted from the environment.