Destruction of nature's chemist - Researchers urge for action

Abstract

Ecosystem services Persistent overharvesting of South Africa’s plants for medicinal purposes as well the destruction of the habitats in which they are found could lead to millions of people losing access to their premier healthcare service. This is according to researchers who have completed a report for the Water Research Commission (WRC) on the distribution, use and ecological roles of medicinal plants in freshwater ecosystems. Article by Lani van Vuuren. The use of plants for medicinal purposes is an inextricable part of South Africa’s culture. An estimated 30 million people make regular use of the services of the country’s 200 000 traditional healthcare practitioners, all of which apply indigenous and exotic plants in their remedies. This does not include the people who purchase medicinal plants from mostly informal markets. It has been estimated that the annual local trade in medicinal plants amounts to 20 000 t, representing 574 species.

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