Traditional herbal medicine in national healthcare in Kenya

Herbal medicine is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. There are studies suggesting that herbal therapies can be effective in treating certain conditions. This has been confirmed by the classic randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind well-designed clinical trials. With reliable information on herbal medicine, it is easier to integrate these therapies with the mainstream medicine. It is unlikely that patients will completely abandon use of era I medical interventions but rather in a more pragmatic manner will choose to integrate other interventions as a part of their overall armamentarium of medical interventions. Can herbal medicine be integrated with mainstream medicine in Kenya and what are the challenges? This paper discusses these and other questions in respect of herbal medicine. The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 8(2) 2005: 22-26