Interactions of Ethiopian Herbal Medicines and Spices with Conventional Drugs

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 80% of the
population in the developing world relies on traditional medicine for health care and this
is believed to also apply to the Ethiopian population. While different disease prevention
and treatment methods are known to be employed in traditional Ethiopian medicine,
phytotherapy appears to be at the top of the hierarchy. However, neither regulatory
mechanisms nor restrictions exist for the use or sale of herbal medicines in Ethiopia.
Furthermore, there are no scientific data of visible importance guaranteeing the efficacy
and safety of these natural substances as utilized in Ethiopia. Consequently, the use of
traditional herbal medicines in Ethiopia is likely to be associated with a number of risks.