African Healing Wisdom: From Tradition to Current Application and Research

July 6 - 9, 2005
Washington, DC

This international conference will be convened in Washington D.C. from July 6th through 9th, 2005 to explore the uniqueness, wealth and complexity of African traditional medicines, and their potential role in addressing some of the crucial health challenges of our times.

As the world faces an unprecedented crisis of new and re-emerging diseases, which threatens to cripple entire communities, it is reasonable that the biomedical community access as many resources and partners as possible to tackle these challenges. One of the resources that may be overlooked or at least underestimated is the contribution that traditional medicine and healers may offer at many levels of health care delivery.

The term "traditional medicine" refers to practices and knowledge that existed before the arrival of modern conventional medicine that were used to promote, maintain and restore health and well-being. Worldwide, people developed unique indigenous healing traditions adapted and defined by their culture, beliefs and environment which satisfied the health needs of communities over centuries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 80 % of the population in developing and poor countries use traditional practitioners and medicines for their primary health care needs. Traditional healers provide culturally sensitive care and can often offer affordable as well as sustainable solutions and resources.

With the longest history of healing in the world, African traditional health knowledge has spread through time, space and cultures maintaining a unique and distinctive character. For centuries, and even today, these traditional systems of health continue to provide effective care to the vast majority of people of Africa, as well as to peoples throughout the Americas and the Caribbean Region.

Through a comprehensive presentation of national and international case-studies and examples, this conference will focus on two key questions to evaluate African traditional healing practices in the context of delivering affordable, sustainable and culturally-sensitive care:

1. What can African traditional medicines contribute to the prevention and control of infectious and chronic diseases, and how can such contributions be validated and enhanced?

2. What roles can traditional African health knowledge play in addressing issues of health disparities and equity, both at home and abroad, and how can these roles be enhanced?

Who Should Attend:

Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, other allied health professionals, as well as governmental and non-governmental health-related organizations interested in integration of health care modalities, CAM, cultural competency in health care, health equity, and conservation.

Many sessions are open to and formatted for the general public who is also welcome to attend.

Conference Objectives:

· To raise awareness of African traditional medicine systems and the world views in which they are grounded.

· To evaluate the success of existing programs in integrating African traditional medicine into western health care delivery systems, particularly for HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other infectious and chronic diseases.

· To promote collaboration between biomedical and African traditional care providers in research, prevention, care and support for various diseases of national and global importance.

· To review current research on African medicinal plants, remedies and other alternative/ complementary therapies.

· To discuss the connection between African health traditions and African-American alternative medical practices.

http://www.africanmedicine.info/

Sponsors:

This conference is jointly sponsored by: Pro-Cultura, Inc.

and

The George Washington University Medical Center
Center for Integrative Medicine
Africa Center for Health and Security

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine , National Institutes of Health (grant ID 1 R13 AT002846-01)

Mount Sinai Medical Center

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine - A Peer-Reviewed Journal

How to Register:

Complete and submit the conference registration form found at www.africanmedicine.info to The George Washington University Medical Center at 202-994-1791. The regular registration fee is $295.00 and for students it is $150.00. Please add $100 if payment is made after June 26, 2005. Additional fees for continuing education credit apply.

Click here to open and print a registration form in PDF format.

By Fax (credit card payments only): 202-994-1791
Charges will appear on your statement as "GWU MC CME."

By Mail: (All checks should be made payable in US funds to GWUMC.) Print and complete the registration form and mail with payment to:

The George Washington University Medical Center
2300 Eye Street, NW
Suite 313-D
Washington, DC 20037
202-994-4285

Event Location:

All conference events will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001.Tel: (202) 737-1234. For directions and maps please click here to visit the hotel's website.

Hotel Accommodations:

Hyatt Regency Washington is located on Capitol Hill, 2 blocks from Amtrak's Union Station. We have obtained a discounted rate of $169.00 for single or double occupancy (plus tax) for all conference attendees making arrangements prior to June 14, 2005. The conference rate is available for a limited number of rooms at the Hyatt so please reserve your room early by calling the Hotel at: (202) 737-1234 and specify that you are attending the "African Medicine Conference", or to make online reservations click here to visit the hotel's website.

If you have a question about registration, please contact:

registration@africanmedicine.info
The George Washington University Medical Center
202-994-4285 or 800-314-1423
202-994-1791 (fax)

Program: program@procultura.org
Volunteering: volunteer@procultura.org
Grant Support: sponsor@procultura.org
Exhibiting: exhibits@procultura.org