Priority Species of Medicinal Plants in South Asia : Report of an Expert Consultation on Medicinal Plants Species Prioritization for South Asia held on 22-23 September, 1997, New Delhi, India
Contents: Foreword. Introduction. 1. Background to and rationale for selecting and prioritizing medicinal plants for enhanced research attention. 2. Criteria for the prioritization and selection of species for enhanced research attention. 3. The major priority species. 4. Other priority species of individual countries or regions. 5. Country-specific situations and approaches to the prioritization and conservation of medicinal plants. 6. Conclusions and recommendations. References. Appendices.
"This report summarizes the findings of an Expert Consultation on Medicinal Plants Species Prioritization for South Asia, held between February 22-23, 1995. The consultation, which took place in New Delhi, India, was jointly organized by WWF-India and the IDRC Medicinal Plants Network (IMPN), now known as the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program in Asia (MAPPA). The participants consisted of IMPN research partners from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who shared their expertise on the needs for the conservation, research and development of medicinal plant species, particularly with regard to the primary health care sector in the South Asian region.
The primary objective of the consultation was to examine key issues faced by the medicinal plant sector in South Asia, focusing on the rationale and need for selecting criteria for the prioritization of medicinal plants used for the provision of primary health care, from a regional perspective. In addition, locally significant medicinal plants occurring in individual countries and regions within South Asia were prioritized. The main outcome of the consultation was the formulation of an agreed framework of criteria, and a selection of prioritized species used in primary health care, sensitive to related issues such as biodiversity conservation, drug development and the macroeconomics of trade. The framework and selection developed through group participation at the consultation can be used as a focus for regional research attention, as well as for targeted development action for the upliftment of the poor of the region."
