Is there good scientific underlying both approaches? If not, how will health and medical decisions be made? What will be the grounds upon which the decision will be made if not scientific?

Yes, I do. But let me clarify first that herbal medicine is a traditional medicine. Perhaps, by traditional medicine, you mean conventional drugs (pharmaceutical drugs). In that case too, it must be noted that many pharmaceutical drugs are herbal products. Frome herbal medicin we have some of the most important drugs humans have encountered, quinine, morphine, artemisinin, digoxin, opium, codeine, cocaine, aspirin, artesunate, paclitaxel, and the list goes on. Then we have their semi-synthetic and synthetic drugs.

Yes, I do. you know traditional medicine, as defined by the World Health Organization, is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement, or treatment of physical and mental illness. Some traditional medicine systems are supported by huge volumes of literature and records of the theoretical concepts and practical skills; others pass down from generation to generation through verbal teaching. To date, in some parts of the world, the majority of the population continue to rely on their own traditional medicine to meet their primary health care needs. When adopted outside of its traditional culture, traditional medicine is often referred as “complementary and alternative medicine.” Among others, the most widely used traditional medicine systems today include those of China, India, and Africa. Recently, the WHO has been working with African nations to integrate scientific and medical models of health to enhance the potentials of traditional medicine in the control of endemic diseases.

I think, natural medicine based on herbal medicines are still important. With the availability of other modern and fast relieving medicines, the use of natural herbal medicines were declined to the great extent in the past. But now again these are becoming popular because of their easy availability at various places and cost effectiveness. It is believed that these medicines have minimum or no side effects. The challenge is that number of traditional healers is continuously decreasing. Moreover it will not be possible for everyone to correctly identify the required herbal materials.

In the context of the above considerations, the following question is also current:

On what issues of natural medication can be associated with ecology and the ecological concept of life.

Please reply

I invite you to the discussion

Thank you very much

Best wishes