Back To Nature with Herb

Among the community which was still traditional, the availability of various types of medicinal plants was a must, because it was a solution for supporting the health. Normally they settled in the remote area which was located very far from the health service centers or the place of physician practice, there was even one who had not known the science of medicine or the medical.
 
Lately, the medicinal plant or known as the herbal term was lively discussed, especially since the wider community started to think “back to nature” as the treatment system. The drug that was made from various nutritious plants which grew in the nature around human turned out was much safer to eat, in the sense it did not cause any chemical side effect.
 
Thus the speech of the Deputy Minister of Education and Culture of the Field of Culture was read by the Chairman of Institute of Research and Community Empowerment (LPPM) IPB, Prof Dr Bambang Pramudya, in the event of National Seminar on Aspects of  Culture, Policy and Philosophy of Herbal Medicine Science, recently at IPB International Convention (IICC) Bogor.
 
Hence the herb was one of national heritages, so it was necessary to have the efforts to conserve, comprising protection, development, and utilization. “During this time, the Ministry of Education and Culture has not yet produced policies that are directly focused on herbal medicine. But it has already strived of the protection toward medicines and traditional treatment, including the herb, as one of the nation’s cultural heritage,” explained the Deputy Minister of Education and Culture of the Field of Culture.
 
Further explained, the protection was also required considering the herb was one of the elements of the traditional knowledge of the Indonesian nation, which gave a separate identity to the national culture of Indonesia.  The activity which was held by Biopharmaca Research Center (PSB) LPPM IPB was attended also by a number of participants from foreign countries. (nm)