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Over the last decades, phytotherapy has attained new status in the world public health scenario. The increasing use of herbal medicines, due at least in part to the growth of the elderly population and their associated chronic diseases (Grünwald and Buettel, 1996), has made this market attractive to investors. In fact, the global market for herbal medicines stands at over USD$ 60 billion annually (Sharma et al., 2008). The World Health Organization currently recommends and encourages the inclusion of traditional herbal medicines in health care programs, as these drugs are available at low cost (WHO, 2002, 2003, 2008). Indeed, following this recommendation, and considering the worldwide trend towards such treatment, several Latin American countries have included medicinal plants and herbal medicines as major topics in their health policy agenda. On the other hand, the growth of this practice has also been cause for concern to authorities monitoring its impact on public health.

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2013-09-10   |   270 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 9 Núm.3. Mayo 2010 Pags. 151-152 BLACPMA 2010; 9(3)