Tens of thousands of medicinal plants are about to disappear forever

The health of hundreds of millions of people on the planet could be in danger because medicinal plants are being over-exploited.

Himalaya yew, a plant with anticancer properties.Photo: alibaba.com.

'The disappearance of medicinal plants is a real disaster , ' said Sara Oldfield, secretary-general of the Conservation Society of International Botanic Gardens.

The majority of the world's population, including 80% of Africans, is entirely dependent on herbs for healing. According to a report by Plantlife International, around 50,000 types of plants worldwide can be used, but approximately 15,000 of them are facing extinction. The lack of herbs has occurred in China, India, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda.

Overexploitation for commercial purposes is the main reason why herbal medicines become increasingly scarce. Other causes include environmental pollution, competition of invasive plants, deforestation, land degradation.

'People take herbs to sell to drug manufacturers without paying any attention to regenerating the next generation. Lack of knowledge is one of the reasons for this situation. In addition, unhealthy competition and disorganized habits are also causes, ' Plantlife reports.

Among the nearly extinct herbs are yew nuts in the Himalayas - ingredients for making paclitaxel anticancer drugs; African cherry tree (Prunus africana) contains substances that treat prostate diseases; Warburgia cinnamon tree (belongs to Cinnamon family) is resistant to malaria.

The report said that the most effective solution to preserving herbs is to create incentives for people to protect them. Projects that deliver cultivated land to every household in China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Uganda and Kenya are reaping success. In Uganda, the medicinal herb conservation project belongs to the White Bellaceae family, which helps people with a supply of anti-malarial drugs cheap. Herbal conservation areas managed by residential areas have also been established in China.

'Improving health, having more income and preserving cultural traditions are important motivations for people to preserve their medicinal plants and habitats. In conservation, we have to start from what people care about, ' the report said.