Introduction

The promotion and integration of traditional medicines in health care programmes invariably involves people of various disciplines: botanists (contemporary and ethnobotanists), pharmacists, pharmacologists, chemists, traditional healers, physicians, sociologists, policy makers, etc. Experts in all these disciplines, drawn from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, were represented at the International Conference on Medicinal Plants (ICMP). Amongst the three regions of the South, Africa drew the highest representation: there were twenty two countries on the continent represented, with delegates from fifteen countries presenting papers. Second in rank was Latin America, which was represented by eight countries. Asia was represented by only two countries: China and India. Nonetheless, there was a lot to be learnt from them also especially with respect to the conservation of traditional medicinal plants today, and ancient uses of the plants.

The diverse nature of the topics in the many papers presented in the conference sessions did not warrant the arrangement of the papers according to the sessions. Instead, the papers in the proceedings are arranged according to the three geographical regions of the South, i.e., Africa, Asia and Latin America, respectively. The countries in each region and the first authors of each article are, accordingly, arranged alphabetically. It is hoped that this arrangement will assist the reader to quickly find out specific information about a specific region.

In these proceedings the first section comprises the opening session . Here the full texts of the opening speeches, addresses and messages are presented.

Parts One, Two and Three of the proceedings encompass presentations by participants from the African, Asian, and Latin American regions, respectively. Full texts of the papers (in the original languages) are presented in alphabetical order of surnames of the authors of the papers. The Editorial Committee of the conference proceedings was of the opinion that since the majority of the participants were from English-speaking countries, at least the key issues contained in the papers, which had been written in French and Spanish languages, should be translated into English. The translations are presented in Appendix I of the proceedings.

Part Four presents the key issues raised and the summaries of the discussions held in the individual sessions. Part Five presents a General Summary, Recommendations and Resolutions which had emanated from the conference as a whole.

For the benefit of non-English speaking participants, a Spanish text of the key issues presented in the General Summary and Recommendations section was also prepared. This is presented in Appendix I. A list of all the participants from each region is included at the end of the text as Appendix II.

The Editorial Committee thanks the readers in advance, for tolerating any inadequacies of editorial nature which they may find in this volume. It is hoped, nevertheless, that the information contained in the proceedings will be found to be invaluable, and of interest to many.