Evaluation of local resources in traditional medicine

Traditional medicine represents a cultural rediscovery of local traditions. The actual and potential resources in traditional medicine and the problems of integration of modern and traditional medicine are summarized. A clinical-pharmacological methodology should be applied to evaluations of the efficacy of plants and their preparations in order to delimit the toxicological aspects. Integration between traditional and modern medicine could be obtained with the collaboration of African scientists and the formation of physicians with a good knowledge of traditional medicine.