<<Strengths | Human Resource|Physical Resources>>

• The country has a large wealth of medicinal plants, a few of which have been exploited
• There are over 80,000 traditional healers in Tanzania Mainland. These are he custodians of the knowledge about plants with medicinal value. They will assist the Institute in exploiting the wealth of medicinal plants found in different parts of the country.
• Tanzania flora is unique in the world, and consists of many endemic plants species. Due to this reason it is possible to attract both national and international collaborators in research on the medicinal value of these plants.
• Based on the information which has been accumulated the Institute can develop a curriculum to teach traditional medicine to medical students. This is an important stage if traditional medicines have to be prescribed by doctors.
• The Institute has medicinal plant farms, which can be used for commercial cultivation of medicinal plants. The same plants can be used to prepare galenicals for use. Establishment of a herbal pharmacy for dispensing these preparations will generate funds for the institute.

Strengths

The strengths of the Institute lies within the following areas: -

•  There is a core of trained researchers in phytochemistry, botany, anthropology and pharmacology.

•  The Institute has a large ethnobiomedical data bank for further research and development of traditional medicine and natural products.

•  The Institute has the capacity to offer consultancy in the area of cultural anthropology, biodiversity, conservation and the use of medicinal plants, drug formulation.

•  The Institute has identified potentially effective medicinal plants that can be developed into standardized pharmaceutical products.

•  The Institute has accumulated data on indigenous essential oil bearing plants that can be cultivated for commercial purposes.

•  The Institute has a seed bank and agronomic data of exotic medicinal and aromatic plants that can be commercialized.

In 1974 when the research Unit was started there were three members of staff; a Director and two field assistants. The Institute, now, has eleven Academic staff; six of them with PhD in different areas of specialization. These include Taxonomy, Pharmacology, phytochemistry and Social Cultural Anthropology. The Institute has well trained technicians, a pharmacist, medical doctors, secretary and supporting staff.
Table below shows the Institute's current human resource by position:

Physical Resources

The Institute occupies a one-story building within the College. The building has 3 laboratories, a Herbarium cum instruments room, and a seminar room cum library, stores and offices. The Institute has basic research facilities, and some analytical equipment, transport for fieldwork and 4 experimental medicinal plant farms. The medicinal plant farms are in Kongowe - Kibaha, Lushoto - Tanga; Olmotony - Arusha and Rua Maua - Kilimanjaro.

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