World Health Organisation: Traditional Medicine Factsheet

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs134/en/

Key facts

* In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.
* Herbal medicines are the most lucrative form of traditional medicine, generating billions of dollars in revenue.
* Traditional medicine can treat various infectious and chronic conditions: new antimalarial drugs were developed from the discovery and isolation of artemisinin from Artemisia annua L., a plant used in China for almost 2000 years.
* Counterfeit, poor quality, or adulterated herbal products in international markets are serious patient safety threats.
* More than 100 countries have regulations for herbal medicines.