Contact :Dr Mohammed Galal M. Ahmed, Director
P. O. Box 2404, Khartoum- Sudan
Tel : 249-11-784895, 249-11-773771
Fax:249-11-770701
E-mail: mapri_ncr@hotmail.com
Background :
Through it’s long history, the Sudan has witnessed the fusion of many cultures, Pharonic, Christian and Islamic along with the local indigenous cultures. With this unique history and vast variety of climate, terrain, fauna and flora, the people of the Sudan have developed their own unique traditional medical culture. They knew the secrets of herbs, mineral salts, waters, animal products and excreta have all been indespencible ingredients of traditional medicaments. A wide array of health protective and curative measures are known, not only for humans but also for animals. Some of these measures are useful, others are followed by custom and tradition though they may be harmful. For a considerable time, studying and developing of traditional herbal medicine have been a main concern in Sudan. Thus, in 1973, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Unit was established by the National Council for Research. During 1983, this unit was upgraded to become Institute. In 1992, Traditional Medicine Research Institute joined the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute.
Objectives:
- Collection and documentation of the experience of Sudanese nation and it’s inherited knowledge in herbal remedies and other traditional medical practices.
- Promotion and integration of valuable knowledge, attitudes and skills in traditional medicine into orthodox medicine and the existing health delivery system, specially our primary health care system.
- Establishment of herbarium for medicinal and aromatic plants in addition to museum for other traditional medical practices.
- Conduction of agricultural research related to Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants with view to their development, adaptation of foreign varieties and opening of new international markets to support the national economy.
- Conduction of experiments on medicinal plants with view of extracting medicines to achieve self-reliance.
- Encouragement of perfumery industries based on Sudanese aromatic plants or foreign adapted ones.
- Extraction of flavoring agents for food and cosmetics industry.
- Strengthening of scientific relations between the institute compartments and the local and industrial institutions and organizations.
- Promotion and supervision of M.Sc. and Ph.D. courses and research programs.
- Training of traditional medicine practitioners (e.g. herbalists, religious healers, bonesetters……etc).
Organization and Staff :
A. Departments :
- Phytochemistry, Production and Taxonomy
- Parasitiology and Microbiology
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Traditional Medicine
B. Man-power:
- 8 Senior Researchers
- 12 Researchers
- 3 Technicians
Current Activities:
- Documentation and evaluation of traditional medical practices on the light of Modern scientific Knowledge
- Formulation of Sudanese Herbal Pharmacopoeia
- Production of Atlas of medicinal plants of Sudan “Materia Medica”
- Utilization of anthelmentic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial activities of Sudanese plants; and plants claimed to be effective against bilharzaisis
- A series of information pamphlets of medicinal plants (cultivation and their different agricultural practices).
- Effect of different cultural practices on the production of active ingredients of some promising medicinal and aromatic plants
- Isolation and characterization of compounds from some of the most active plants
- Adaptation of exotic medicinal plants to the Sudan climate