Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Community Health: Strengthening Linkages

webmaster — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:57:26 +0000

Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Community Health: Strengthening Linkages iuncbd.org.

Author:	Unnikrishnan P.M. Suneetha M.S.- Collaborators: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bangalore ETC-COMPAS, Leusden United Nations Development Programme-Equator Initiative, New York
Dates:	2012	Document Type:	Policy Report	Source:	United Nations University – Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)
Country: Region:		Discipline and Theory	Policy and Law
Key Words:	Community Health, Traditional Medicines, Policy Strategy, CBD Aichi Target, ILO, WHO, Indigenous Peoples UN Declaration, Biodiversity and Health
Key Messages:	“While the relevance of biodiversity to mainstream health is clear, as seen in commercial use of biological resources by pharmaceuticals, their relevance to the health care of people in insufficiently connected and economically disadvantaged regions of the world can be considered to be much more profound. These regions are rich in resources (such as medicinal or nutritional and related knowledge), but they lack in sufficient public health care infrastructure and personnel.” ” Given the recent attention on universal and improved health care access for all, there is a renewed interest to strengthen the potential of traditional medicine and health practitioners to fulfill this role. As the medical armamentarium primarily consists of biological resources, it is important to also ensure their sustainable use. There are several initiatives at the macro and local levels that exemplify good practice in achieving both sustainable use of natural resources for traditional medical purposes, as well as accessibility for marginal and local communities. However, such good practices are still restricted to pockets of project activity, and it is time that their relevance in global health and related policies receives deserved recognition.” “Ensuring sustained availability of biological resources and sufficient access to good quality health care for all members of society is a clear and necessary objective. Sustainability and equity are closely connected, especially in rural communities of developing countries, as health care is primarily delivered by native healers or community health workers or householders using biological resources. Given the low reach of modern doctors and health care facilities, and the knowledge and experience possessed by knowledgeable local actors, it becomes imperative to involve the latter more actively in health care delivery systems. Further, protecting such knowledge from erosion and misappropriation also needs to be addressed urgently.” (p 9) “The report is organized as follows: Section 1 elaborates the policy context of community health, environment and development. In Section 2, challenges related to biological resource use, traditional knowledge and local level health delivery systems are highlighted, along with case studies on how these issues may be addressed effectively. Section 3 concludes with some suggested action plans and policy directions that will help” (p. 16) .
Link:	http://www.ias.unu.edu/resource_centre/Biodiversity%20Traditional%20Knowledge%20and%20Community%20Health_final.pdf

Related Policy Issues

Policy/Management Priority #2

"Conclusions - Potential Strategies": "• Assessment methods to inventorize resources and knowledge used in health care – Conduct integrated assessments of biological resources and traditional health practices in an ecological and community context. This would enable prioritizing conservation and development strategies and could capture details that may not figure into mainstream assessments. The inventorizing process would also entail identification, documentation, participatory and interdisciplinary assessment and promotion of relevant practices for rural community health and well-being, and strengthen conservation and sustainable harvest approaches. • Knowledge validation, generation and use – Develop and promote appropriate integrative methodologies for assuring quality, safety and efficacy of traditional ...... Read More

Policy Measure #2

Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO) 1957, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OHCHR) 1966, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO) – revised in 1989, UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNPFII) 2006, CBD/COP10 Decision 20, CBD Strategic Plan 2011–2020 (Aichi Biodiversity Target 14), World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine Strategy 1978, 1995, 2002, 2002–2005, 2008 ... Read More

Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Community Health: Strengthening Linkages iuncbd.org.

Rainforest Pharmacopeia in Madagascar provides high Value for Current Local and Prospective Global Uses

webmaster — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:18:01 +0000

Rainforest Pharmacopeia in Madagascar provides high Value for Current Local and Prospective Global Uses iuncbd.org.

Author:	Christopher D. Golden, B. J. Rodolph Rasolofoniaina, E. J. Gasta Anjaranirina, Lilien Nicolas, Laurent Ravaoliny, Claire Kremen
Dates:	2012	Document Type:	Article	Source:	PLoS ONE 7(7): e41221. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0041221
Country: Region:	Madagascar	Discipline and Theory	Economics
Key Words:	Economic Value, Values of Traditional Medicines, Externalities, Opportunity Costs, Insurance Value, Ecosystems Services, Ecosystems Health Services, Community Health, Tropical Forests, Methodology, Research Methods, Substitution Method
Key Messages:	“Botanical diversity provides value to humans through carbon sequestration, air and water purification, and the provisioning of wild foods and ethnomedicines. Here we calculate the value of botanical ethnomedicines in a rainforest region of Madagascar, the Makira Protected Area, using a substitution method that combines replacement costs and choice modeling. The Makira watershed may comprise approximately 0.8% of global botanical diversity and possesses enormous value both in its ability to provision botanical ethnomedicines to local people and as a source of potentially novel pharmaceutical drugs for society as a whole. Approximately 241 locally-recognized species are used as ethnomedicines, including 113 agricultural or weed species. We equated each ethnomedicinal treatment to the monetary value of a comparable pharmaceutical treatment adjusted by personal preferences in perceived efficacy (rather than from known or assumed medicinal equivalency). The benefit value of these botanical ethnomedicines per individual is $5.40-7.90 per year when using the value of highly subsidized Malagasy pharmaceuticals and $100.60-287.40 when using the value of American pharmaceuticals. Using local pharmaceuticals as substitutes, the value per household is $30.24-44.30 per year, equivalent to 43-63% of median annual household income, demonstrating their local importance. Using the value of American pharmaceuticals, the amount is equivalent to 22-63% of the median annual health care expenditures for American adults under 45 in 2006. The potential for developing novel biomedicines from the Makira watershed’s unique flora ranges in untapped benefit value from $0.3-5.7 billion for American pharmaceutical companies, non-inclusive of the importance of providing novel medicines and improved healthcare to society. This study provides evidence of the tremendous current local and prospective global value of botanical ethnomedicines and furthers arguments for the conservation of tropical forests for sustainable use.” (abstract)
Link:	Rainforest pharmacopia in madagascar (pone.0041221)

Related Policy Issues

Policy Measure #1

CBD National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) ... Read More

Policy and Research Question #1

Design of methodology - Analysis and evaluation of positive externalities produced by traditional medicines for the health sector ... Read More

Tools for Policy Making/Management #1

Method to calculate the value of traditional medicines services within the context of the national health system and public sector expenditures - Method to evaluate potential benefits of the utilization of medicinal plant ... Read More

Policy/Management Priority #1

Designing policy and management strategies and action plans taking into account: traditional medicines, the inter-linkage between health system, biodiversity conservation, and the wide set of local/global benefits, externalities and values - among them economic monetary and non-monetary values - related to ecosystems services, utilization of the components of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge, innovations and practices. ... Read More

Rainforest Pharmacopeia in Madagascar provides high Value for Current Local and Prospective Global Uses iuncbd.org.

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Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and Community Health: Strengthening Linkages

Rainforest Pharmacopeia in Madagascar provides high Value for Current Local and Prospective Global Uses