Leveraging ndds platforms for maximising the poten-tial of ethnomedicines
- Vol.53(7), July
- Mumbai Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Science 2021
- 25-30p.
Traditional medicine practised indigenously in different parts of the world has revealed that plants possess great potential to be developed into therapy for various ailments. Origin of about 75% of antimicrobial and 60% of anticancer drugs approved for clinical use from 1981 to 2002 could be traced back to nature (S. Singh and Tripathi 2017). Several initiatives are being undertaken worldwide in order to leverage ethnomedicinal wisdom for the development of effective therapies. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognised, emphasised and advocated the use and modernization of traditional medicines time and again. The goals adopted by WHO in its ‘Traditional Medicine Strategy (2014-2023)’, are to harness the potential contribution of traditional medicines (TM) to health, wellness and people-centred healthcare and promoting the safe and effective use of TM by regulating, researching and integrating TM products, practitioners and practice into health systems, wherever appropriate (WHO 2013). In India, considering the vast knowledge of indigenous medicines, the TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) was introduced in 2001 with the objective for preservation, protection and promotion of traditional, knowledge-based innovations and practices. Ethnomedicines, if leveraged carefully, have the potential to become the backbone of the healthcare systems worldwide soon and for generations to come.