PHA-Exchange> UN HEALTH AGENCY ISSUES SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern.weitzel at undp.org>

 UN HEALTH AGENCY ISSUES SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES FOR HERBAL
MEDICINES
> New York, Feb 10 2004 10:00AM

> With growing reports of adverse effects from herbal medicines and the risk
that over-harvesting could lead to the extinction of
> endangered species, the United Nations health agency today issued
guidelines for good agricultural and collection practices in an
> industry estimated to be worth more than $60 billion a year.
>
> The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines are intended for national
governments to ensure that the production of herbal
> medicines -- which can be the natural, readily available answer to some
ailments -- is safe, posing no threat to either people or
> the environment.
>
> Herbal medicines are growing in popularity in wealthy countries and their
use remains widespread in developing regions, but poor
> quality of raw plant materials and wrong identification of plant species
are a major cause of adverse effects. Cultivating,
> collecting and classifying plants correctly are therefore of the utmost
importance for the quality and safety of products, the
> Geneva-based WHO said in a news release.
>
> The Guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices for Medicinal
Plants also warn that the growing market and its great
> commercial benefit might pose a threat to biodiversity through
over-harvesting of raw materials for medicines and natural health
> care products.  If not controlled, these practices may lead to the
extinction of endangered species and the destruction of natural
> habitats and resources.
>
> The guidelines cover the spectrum of cultivation and collection, including
site selection, climate and soil considerations and
> identification of seeds and plants, as well as the main post-harvest
operations and legal issues such as national and regional
> laws on quality standards, patent status and benefits sharing.
>
> Among the risks highlighted are inadvertent contamination by microbial or
chemical agents and misidentification of plants or
> intentional adulteration. In this context, the report cites ca
> arrhythmias reported in the United States in 1997 after the accidental
substitution of plantain, to be used as a dietary
> supplement, with Digitalis lanata, generally used for heart conditions.
>
> Among endangered medicinal plants the guidelines mentioned the reported
rapid decline due to increasing demand of wild ginseng
> used for digestive conditions resulting from nervous disorders. Wild
American ginseng, goldenseal, echinacea, black cohosh,
> slippery elm and kava kava top the "at-risk list" of endangered species of
medicinal plants.