Introduction

“If there is to be any real improvement in the health of the under-served populations of the world, then there will have to be full utilization of all available resources, human and material. This is fundamental to the primary healthcare approach. Traditional medical practitioners constitute the most abundant and in many cases, valuable health resources present in the community. They are important and influential members of their communities who should be associated with any move to develop health services at a local level.”

Akerele (1987)

“First the unukane (Ocotea bullata) trees were killed by ring-barking for sale in the cities. Now the same is happening to igejalibomvu (Curtisia dentata) and umkhondweni (Cryptocarya myrtifolia) trees. Soon they will be gone as well and we will have to buy the barks from the herb traders.”

Herbalist, Nkandla forest, Natal,
South Africa, 1987

The populations of developing countries worldwide continue to rely heavily on the use of traditional medicines as their primary source of healthcare. Ethnobotanical studies carried out throughout Africa confirm that native plants are the main constituent of traditional African medicines (Adjanohoun et al., 1980; Adjanohoun et al., 1984; Adjanohoun et al., 1985; Adjanohoun et al., 1986; Adjanohoun et al., 1988; Ake Assi, 1988; Ake Assi et al., 1981; Hedberg, et al., 1982; Hedberg et al., 1983a; Hedberg et al., 1985b; Kokwaro, 1976; Oliver Bever, 1987). With 70-80% of Africa’s population relying on traditional medicines, the importance of the role of medicinal plants in the healthcare system is enormous. Medicinal plants are now being given serious attention, as is evidenced by the recommendation given by the World Health Organization in 1970 (Wondergem et al., 1989) that proven traditional remedies should be incorporated within national drug policies, by recent moves towards a greater professionalism within African medicine (Last and Chavunduka, 1986) and also by the increased commercialization of pharmaceutical production using traditional medicinal plants with known efficacy (Sofawara, 1981).

Little attention however, has been paid to the socio-economic and conservation aspects of medicinal plant resources, probably due to the relatively small volumes involved and the specialist nature of the informal trade in them. However, the management of traditional medicinal plant resources is probably the most complex African resource management issue facing conservation agencies, healthcare professionals and resource users. As pressure is increasing on diminishing medicinal plant supplies, constructive resource management and conservation actions must be identified, based upon a clear understanding of the surrounding medicinal plant use.

This study seeks to respond to three central questions:

(1) What are the causes behind the depletion of wild populations of medicinal plant species in Africa?
(2) Which species are of particular concern and should be given priority for positive action?
(3) What can be done to ensure the effective conservation of all medicinal plant species?

An explanation of the present situation in the first section (“Medicinal plant use in Africa”) illustrates the urgent need for action. The actions required to alleviate problems and an assessment of priorities for medicinal plant conservation and resource management are discussed in the second section (“Policy priorities in conservation and primary healthcare”).The study is based on research and literature surveys, correspondence with other researchers, field visits to establish contact with traditional medical practitioners (TMPs) and herbalists and visits to Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe in 1990.

I have chosen not to make distinctions between plant species with symbolic or psychosomatic uses and those with active ingredients in this study, the main issue being whether or not a species is threatened.