The West African Health Organization (WAHO) will hold its eighth scientific congress of traditional and conventional medicine practitioners from Dec. 19 to 20 in the Togolese capital Lome, WAHO Focal Point in Togo told Xinhua on Sunday.

The meeting, under the theme "Pharmacopoeia as Tools of Essential Drugs Discovery for the Treatment of New Emerging Diseases", aims to promote collaboration between traditional medicine practitioners and conventional medicine practitioners in the fifteen countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

"Discussions will focus on sub-themes such as: from traditional knowledge to worldwide targeted products, herbal treatment of neglected tropical diseases, research and development for medicinal herbs, and intellectual property rights and the protection of endogenous knowledge," Sossah Remi, WAHO Focal Point in Togo, explained.

From WAHO's point of view, the discovery and the mass production of chemical synthetic drugs have considerably changed health care across the world over the last one hundred years.

The specialized institution responsible for health issues noted that broad segments of population, particularly in developing countries, still refer to traditional medicine practitioners and to herbal medicine for their primary health care.

The 8th scientific congress will hold at a time when herbs are largely resorted to by West African people for the treatment of acute or chronic diseases including cardiovascular disorders, prostate problems, depression, inflammation and compromised immunity.

The forum is designed to bring together senior officials from ministries of health, regional health experts, researchers and managers of training and research institutions, major local, regional and international NGOs, managers of private companies involved in the health sector, as well as partners in the region and elsewhere.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2016)