CTMDR Research Areas
CTMDR Research Areas

I.   Traditional medicines and traditional health practioners

Reseach on traditional medicines and traditional medical practioners currently focus on :

  • Ethnobotanical/ Ethnomedical surveys:
  • Involves documentation of herbal remedies/Medicinal plants used by various herbalists and Traditional Herbal Practitioners (THPs) to treat the many diseases afflicting the population.
  • Consultancy services to THPs and patients seeking alternative medicine is also carried out every Wednesday between 9.00am and 12.30 pm. The THPs are advised on registration process and other matters concerning TM. The patients are educated on TM and directed to the right registered THP depending on their needs.
  • Evaluation of safety, efficacy and chemistry of medicinal plant preparations claimed to treat diseases
  • Participation in interministerial development of a National Traditional Medicine Policy
  • Collaboration with the Ministry of health in efforts to develop regulations govening use of traditional medicine
  • Collaboration with the Department of Culture to regulate traditional health pratitioners
  • Collaboration with traditional health practioners to determine training needs to improve traditional medicine practice
  • Collaboration with National Museums of Kenya in the process of developing training curriculum for traditional health practioners
  • Developing traditional medicine database. Database Design and initial identification of  database content developed on Microsoft Access 2000 with technical assistance from WHO / AFRO.
II.   Parasitic Diseases program Current reserch activities focus on :
  • Studies on antimalarial activity of plant extracts from malaria endemic regions of Kenya.
  • Studies on leishmanial activity of plant extracts both in vitro and in vivo.
III.   Infectious Diseases program Current Research activities focus on :
  • Evaluation of plant extracts for management of herpes viruses both in vitro and in vivo.
  • Evaluation of the potency of  plant extracts against pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
IV.      Drug quality surveillance Research activities focusses on :
  •  
    • Esatablishing the quality of pharmaceutical products manufactured in Kenya.
    • Collaboration with manufactures in Kenya to advocate the improvement of good manufacturing practices
 

Vision

"To be a leading centre of excellence in human health research."

Mission

"To improve human health and quality of life through research, capacity building and service delivery."

Motto

"In Search of Better Health"
towards the realization of our Vision