Traditional medicinal plants improving community health in Yen Bai province

SRD's "Development and Conservation of Traditional Remedies and Indigenous Medicinal Plants" project in Cam An commune, Yen Bai province, is now in its second year. The project operates in four poor villages in Cam An province, Yen Bai, with the overall goal of supporting poor farmers to sustain traditional health care and livelihoods through the conservation and development of traditional remedies and indigenous medicinal plants.

A Dao woman tends to Mach Mon plants at the community nursery in Cam An commune

A team of SRD staff recently visited the project for a regular monitoring and update visit, and were pleased to see the positive progress of the project.

Mr Hai, Vice President of Yen Bai Traditional Medicine Association, SRD's partner for the project and head of the project management board, says that the project has seen many successes so far. "People's awareness about herbal plants has increased," he said. "Local people in the villages now have a strong belief in the benefits of using herbal plants, and they are gaining knowledge in now to cultivate them. And it's not just villagers who have increased awareness, but also local authorities, healers and doctors. More and more people see the value of herbal medicine; it's spreading through the community."

In Cam An commune the SRD team met with village leaders, farmers, households and traditional healers. They visited the four pilot herbal gardens which are managed by the leaders of each village, trialing different medicinal plants, and used as a demonstration garden. The gardens focus on six key herbal plants: Ba Kích, Kim Tien Thao, Mach Môn, Hoài Sơn, Gung and Linh Lăng. During the visit, the local people were performing a cross-check of the gardens, examining how each species of plant is growing, and what conditions are helping plants thrive. These regular cross-checks and ensuing discussions help the villagers improve their knowledge as they establish their own herbal gardens.

Farmers with herbal gardens are harvesting the medicinal plants for their own use, and there were many accounts of positive benefits. Many households brew herbal plants each day instead of tea, and say they feel more rejuvenated and energized.

As the project progresses, the production of herbal plants will expand, and farmers will be able to sell more products to local healers and medical companies. Local people involved in the project are enthusiastic to continue the project, as they can see the benefit of herbal plants both to their health, and to increased incomes in the future.

The SRD team also visited a traditional pharmaceutical company in Yen Bai, which already purchases a small amount of plants from the local gardens, and has a good relationship with the farmers. The company is eager to support the project and purchase more local herbal plants from the farmers in the future.

Learn more about SRD's projects in Yen Bai Province

-SRD-