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

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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.

CBD-PAHO-WHO Regional Workshop on the Inter-Linkages between Human Health and Biodiversity in the Americas, Manaus (Brazil), 4/6 September 2012

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CBD-PAHO-WHO Regional Workshop on the Inter-Linkages between Human Health and Biodiversity in the Americas, Manaus (Brazil), 4/6 September 2012 iuncbd.org.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), regional office of the World Health organization (WHO) organized a regional workshop for the Americas on the Inter-linkages between Biodiversity and Human Health, which was held from 4 to 6 September 2012 in Manaus, Brazil.This workshop provided a forum for representatives from Ministries of Health and Ministries of the Environment, and other experts from the health and biodiversity sectors, in the Americas to:

discuss the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, in particular as it relates to health issues;
discuss regional best practices in terms of incorporating biodiversity and health considerations in national and regional biodiversity conservation and health programmes;
identify possible joint activities to achieve health and biodiversity co-benefits for consideration in national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and in national health strategies;
strengthen capacity and identify further capacity needs for the implementation of the Strategic Plan; and
promote transboundary/regional cooperation and support networks on health and biodiversity issues and strategies.

In total 52 participants from 25 countries from South America, Central America, the Caribbean and North America gathered for the workshop in Manaus, Brazil.

Conclusions

The participants of the workshop suggested the following activities:

To continue collaboration between Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Health Organization to develop joint activities that will encourage inter-sectoral communication and support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
To incorporate the relationships between human health and biodiversity in the updating of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and national health strategies as a means for fulfilling the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020;
To update, publish and distribute widely the draft discussion paper sent to participants in preparation for the regional workshop on the inter-linkages between biodiversity and health;
To strengthen collaboration between the Convention on Biological Diversity and international bodies that deal with food and food security, given their important links with health and biodiversity;
To include the role of communities, particularly indigenous and local community women as managers, protectors and transmitters of traditional knowledge, on health and food security;
To emphasize the issues of health and traditional knowledge in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity, taking into account the objectives of the Convention, Article 8(j), Article 10(c), Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Distribution of Benefits, Akwé: Kon voluntary guidelines, Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity, as appropriate;
To carry out national and regional workshops like this one, as well as national workshops, with all relevant stakeholders, including indigenous and local communities, for the continuing promotion of information exchange and collaboration on key issues relevant to biodiversity and health;
To share national and regional experiences that support the development of linkages between biodiversity and health through the exchange of information with the aim of developing a regional observatory to facilitate networking and decision-making;
To strengthen epidemiological surveillance systems that also consider ecological and biodiversity indicators;
To create and/or strengthen surveillance systems that include indicators to measure the benefit of biodiversity protection and conservation relating to the control of communicable and non-communicable diseases through water, soil, air, and/or food;
To encourage communication and intersectoral collaboration in this area, especially between Ministries of Health and Ministries of Environment and other key stakeholders;
To develop communication tools and culturally appropriate information to share experiences and practices in health and biodiversity which can be assessed, disseminated and implemented;
To incorporate the issue of indigenous and traditional health taking into account stakeholders from indigenous and local communities;
To recognize traditional knowledge, among other valid systems of knowledge, for information on biodiversity and health.
To promote the exchange of information, knowledge and experiences among countries to develop integrated tools of territorial planning and the management of hydrological basins;
To include health and biodiversity variables in environmental impact assessments;

To promote the characterization of ecological risk zones for zoonotic diseases transmitted by vectors and invasive species.

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CBD-PAHO-WHO Regional Workshop on the Inter-Linkages between Human Health and Biodiversity in the Americas, Manaus (Brazil), 4/6 September 2012 iuncbd.org.

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

CBD-PAHO-WHO Regional Workshop on the Inter-Linkages between Human Health and Biodiversity in the Americas, Manaus (Brazil), 4/6 September 2012