McCaleb's traditional medicine agenda added to national
plan of action for Africa
February 25, 2000
A proposal by Herb Research Foundation President Rob McCaleb
to incorporate African traditional medicine into the new National
Policy Plan for Africa was accepted at the National Summit on
Africa, held February 16-20, 2000 in Washington, DC. McCaleb's
recommendations stressed the importance of strengthening the
quality of rural health care in Africa by exploring, encouraging,
and improving the use of traditional plant-based medicines,
on which a large proportion of the African population still
depends for effective, low-cost health care. "Millions
of Africans of all ages rely on herbal medicines for primary
health care," said McCaleb. "The Herb Research Foundation's
contribution to the final policy plan of action will assure
that the U.S. government will focus attention on the importance
of these traditional remedies."
The National Policy Plan for Africa has taken shape over the
course of four years and six regional summits on Africa, all
of which led up to the first National Summit on Africa in Washington.
The goal of this groundbreaking event was the development of
a comprehensive plan for U.S.-African relations, addressing
a wide range of issues including economic development and trade,
democracy and human rights, peace and security, education and
culture, and the environment. At least 5,000 people attended
the National Summit, including 11 heads of African nations and
numerous U.S. administration and cabinet officials, Congressional
representatives, mayors, and other dignitaries. Highlights of
the event included a keynote address by President Clinton; a
presidential candidates' forum on U.S.-African foreign policy;
a televised roundtable on the past, present, and future of U.S.
policy relations with Africa; and numerous cultural events,
policy debates, and seminars covering a wide range of current
issues.
During the National Summit, 2,100 delegates selected and finalized
policy recommendations for inclusion in the National Policy
Plan. The document represents the first attempt ever to develop
such a comprehensive plan of action for U.S.-African relations.
The plan finalized in Washington was a collaborative effort
of thousands of Americans who provided input, recommendations,
and corrections at six regional summit meetings throughout the
country, including the Mountain/Southwest Regional Summit on
Africa in September, 1999, at which McCaleb introduced his traditional
African medicine recommendations.
McCaleb introduced three of the six recommendations on African
traditional medicine that were ultimately incorporated into
the final policy plan:
- Indigenous traditional medicines (usually medicinal plants)
provide low-cost remedies for rural health care. The U.S.
should explore, encourage and improve the rational use of
low-tech traditional medicine.
- Government and non-governmental organizations should help
to create and support education and use of traditional medicines.
- The U.S. should encourage and support research and development
to modernize techniques for producing safe, stable natural
health care products.
The final policy plan was presented at the National Summit
to Gene B. Sperling, Assistant to the President for Economic
Policy. The report will next be presented to Congress.
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