AROMATHERAPY

AIMS of the FIADREP Association

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATIONS OF DEFENSE IN PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH AND TEACHING

(translated by Dr. Jean-Claude LAPRAZ)

  • To gather all Associations in existence or to be created, for which the proper aim is to :

    - gather doctors, chemists and other members of equivalent scientific disciplines who, according to the medicinal tradition, carry on with researches and practices on Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy and on all natural techniques, biological and physical which will help health to be ameliorated.
    - use all means of practices, and of scientific researches set on disposal, including the setting up of analysis allowing the detection of frauds or falsifications in all therapeutical prescriptions used in a medicinal aim, and to establish the criteria precising the quality of the products.
    - organize a post university education reserved to students in medicine and praticians.
    - and in accordance with the international laws, to give all the means at disposal, mostly seminars, and documentations which will be placed within the framework of a continuing education.

  • To unify and coordinate, in each countries member, in Europe and all over the world, the defense of the use of medicinal plants of a pharmacomedicinal quality.
  • To pursue research and practises in Phytotherapy and to spread all over the world an education in accordance with the various points of the present statutes.
  • To bring up to date yearly, the criteria of the pre-established clinical consensus which are necessary to join the FIADREP, and to publish an opuscule which describes those criteria.

    The unification will be realised on the triple committment to :
    - a commune ethic for the defense of Phytotherapy, described in the concerned points of its statutes.
    - a scientific research corresponding to the criteria given in the concerned points of its statutes.
    - a coordinated education of Phytotherapy, both clinical and pharmacognosical, corresponding to the describes criteria in the concerned points of its statutes.

    A committee called "Joint Council of Phytotherapy in Medicine" will be the guarantee of the ethics' maintenance which governs the Federation, in its relations with the official authorities, and particularly with the medicine's representative.

    DEFENSE OF PHYTOTHERAPY

    It should be considered on 3 levels :

    - quality of the practicians, as well as the one of the technical means given to practise Phytotherapy, and mainly the quality of the drugs containing medicinal plants.

    - being free to practice and the use integrated in the medical practise, to respect the equality of the rights, both patients and praticians, as well as the one of the chemists.

    - of honesty and strictness of the informations which should respond to the requirements defined in the ethical Charter of the "Joint Council of Phytotherapy in Medicine".

    RESEARCH WILL HAVE TO ANSWER SOME CONDITIONS

    - To the inclusive criteria of the official Medical Research.

    - To the peculiar criteria belonging to the specificity of medicinal plants and their uses.

    - To the guarantee that exchanges of informations should be done not only between the associations member but with the whole medical corps.

    EDUCATION SHOULD HAVE A RESPONSE TO THREE REQUIREMENTS

  • On a basic level, the requirement of a consensus relying on the criteria of standardization and exchange of pharmacognosy recognized by the European Communauty.

  • On a clinical level, the one of a pre-established consensus applied by the founder associations and their members. This consensus is based on the essential terrain notion in approaching the patient, and the education of phytotherapy on the ensuing therapeutics described by the FIADREP, and putted down in its opuscule, set regularly up to date in function of the advancement of the scientific knowledges. The setting up to date will be done by only the associations called founder associations and after having taken the advice of those called titular associations.

  • At a practical level, the requirement of a cycle of education based on at least 75 hours, shared out according to each association, and marked by a diploma or a certificate of education giving right to an equivalence between the Associations.

    The Federation's Board of Directors and each Association member will endeavour to do the best "to serve Phytotherapy" in taking, each time it can be done, all necessary measures to its integration into the various teaching - hospitals, as well as in practise, research and education than in its defense and the information given to the praticians as the one given to the patients.

    Each association member commits on to hold informed the Federation of the progresses realized at its level for the integration of Phytotherapy in the medical or pharmaceutical degree course, or both of them, and vice-versa.

    Seven countries actually represent those associations member of the FIADREP :

    Belgium - France - Greece - Italy - Mexico - Switzerland - Tunisia

    In view of their admission many countries have stand their candidatures. Those candidatures are actually being studied by the Board of the Federation.

    The actual composition of the Board is the following :

    To day, apart fron the internal works in accordance with all associative works of all learned-associations, the outer activities of the Federation are composed of :

    1) Congresses

    2) Informations days

    3) of a preliminary education under the forms of seminars

    THE FIADREP'S CONGRESSES

    The first Intercontinental Congress, on medicinal plants organized by the Faculty of Pharmacy and the French Society f Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy, was held in Tunis from the 19th to 22nd May 1993, and was under the patronage of the President of the Tunisian Republic.

    This Congress was opened by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and it has been closed by the Junior Minister of the Scientific Research and Technology.

    This congress had been presided over by Professor Rachid Chemli and Christian Duraffourd (M.D.).

    After having done a large survey of the actual use of medicinal plants in the world, 500 participants who came from 49 countries, praticians, chemists, researchers, members of international and industrial organisations, members of associative movements and of ONG, have debated on the future prospect of these plants included in progressive health systems. They also debated on the problems which can be posed and also of the possible keys which can be settle up in regard to the scientific checking on the uses of those plants.

    To give to the medicinal plant the best of its efficiency accompanyied with a justified credibility was the main point of the debate. The reality of this efficiency has been recognized through the confrontation between fondamentalist researchers and clinicians. phytopratician The necessity to pursue the exchanges of informations and ideas between the tradition holders and the scientists going through the group of clinicians, was imperative to each of them as an absolute necessity. This setting in common of the data must be coupled with a true and effective cooperation for the development and safety of plant patrimony in the world. This cooperation should already be established between northern countries and southern countries.

    For all those reasons, this Congress really deserved the name of "Intercontinental" and several points have been settle up - in order to ratify and to extend this internationalization concerning the effectiveness of medicinal plants.

  • An international network of exchange, information and harmonization of research in the use of medicinal plants included in a redefined health system, from which the French Society of Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy will be the organizer with the tight collaboration of the Faculty of Monastir.

    The FIADREP gathers a group of medical associations which commit themselves to respect the rules of medicinal plants uses based on the fundamental data in terrain notion and of the mode of enforcement of the clinical phytotherapy as they have been mentioned during this present congress. The FIADREP held at this occasion her first constituent General Assembly.

  • The Medicinal Plants Section of the Arabian Union of Chemists sat up around Tunisia which has the Presidency and the President is Professor Rachid Chemli.

    Prospect :

  • Teachers and researchers from the arabian countries of the Maghreb (U.M.A.) have met in order to coordinate and to exchange their works and experiences in the medicinal plants phytotherapic field.

  • The constitution of an African association of Phytotherapy follows up the consultation of the present African Institutions and organizations.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

    1) Research and cooperation

    The participants have carried the following recommendations :

  • To strengthen the capacities in research in the field of medicinal plants in southern countries, for reasons of equity and efficiency in order to safeguard the multiplicity of approaches in research as well as in the mass and specific social priorities to each country and continent.

  • To set up a cooperation between northern and southern countries in the field of medicinal plants. This cooperation will tend to give exchanges of experiences and informations based on partnership and equity, therefore on respect of the differences and specificities of each one. The strengthening of the capacity in research in the South and the settling of standard contract under the necessary conditions to establish this equity and partnership mind.

  • To study the commune bases of a redefined health system allowing to use in their best, medicinal plants according to the strict observance of economy rules on the physiological point of view as well as the social one. To view the uses of them at all stages from the therapy of prevention up to the most effective medical cares. To formalize and set up the modes of demonstration and credibility of their functional activities.

    2) Policy of Health

    In the North as in the South the promotion of the medicinal plants in medical cares systems goes through strain of scientifical credibility in the use of plants and by a real policy of communication.

    This effort of credibility and communication implies :

  • an appropriate training of doctors, chemists and aucillaries staff of the hospital in the usual academic institutions (Faculties) and schools of nurses.

  • a convincing sensibilization and information of the consultants.

  • a large information given to the public which must convince of the efficiency of medicinal plants advantages which they represent for health when they are advisedly used in regards to the classical drugs.

  • the adoption of legal steps establishing a new model of demonstration medicinal plants activity based on the checking of medicinal plants qualitative activity. From the most destitute to the richest countries, only these models will allow to demonstrate in all countries, in respect of the time and of the strictest economy of research, this one being the only one compatible with the aim of reducing cost of medical cares in the world. To demonstrate also the free and speedy passage of the data and informations, from the empiricism up to their scientific explanation and credibility.

  • the adoption of legal measures setting up a checking of the marketing and quality of phytotherapic products This checking must of course be fitted to the economical and institutional sanitary realities of each countries.

    3) Environment

    The participants are convinced :

  • that the protection of the plants patrimony of southern countries, which is very often the subject of a real pillaging, requires a sizeable effort of inventory and the setting up of a policy of protection.

  • that this effort, done by the southern countries must be supported by the northern countries based on a standard-contract which give place to an impartial division of responsabilities and results.

  • that the same effort should not be envisaged without a strengthening of research capacities in southern countries.

  • that the necessary dispositions in order to collect intensively, even see widly, certain plants, taken by northern and southern countries, should not compromise the existence of these last ones, and does not disturb certain ecological balance or does not favour the depreciation of certain soils.

  • that these countries help the farmers, and particularly the most destituted ones to product these plants with the double advantage of fighting against rural poverty and to preserve the biological varieties of plants.

    INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATIONS OF DEFENSE IN PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH AND TEACHING
    F I A D R E P
    19, Boulevard Beauséjour - 75016 PARIS / FRANCE
    Email : S.F.E.M.

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