**2. Benefits of herbal medicine**

Herbal medicines (HM) include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combinations and are used especially for the prevention and treatment of diseases [13].

In contemporary times, HM remains a major component of the primary healthcare in many rural African and Asian communities. It also constitutes an integral part of the culture of many societies of the world. Many herbs and herbal recipes have a long traditional history of folk uses and claims of health benefits. Scientific research has shown that HMs contain complex chemical compounds that are responsible for the pharmacological activities, which corresponds to health benefits and/or toxicity they elicit [1]. HMs have been used as prophylaxes for the passive maintenance of health as well as for radical treatment of varieties of mild to serious diseases [14–17].

In contemporary times, HMs are prepared and used in different forms, which also affect their activity outcomes. The dosage form of herbal medicines varies widely depending on such factors as the type of disease to be treated, route of application, patient, culture and even philosophical backgrounds. In homes and traditional medicine clinics, HMs are prepared often from fresh or dried herbs which are commonly made into infusions, decoctions, poultices, powders to be poured into open wounds or incorporated into native beverages, puddings, and so on. Conventional commercial HMs products are commonly available as pills, capsules, tablets, powders/granules, creams, ointments, and so on. The presentation of HMs in pharmaceutical dosage forms is expected to enhance accurate dosing, esthetics as well as compliance by enticing usage.

Safety and efficacy is another important factor overriding the use and commercialization of HMs. The quality of herbal products is essentially dependent on the safety and efficacy of the herbal material in relation to the intrinsic chemical components, type of contaminants as well as the production processing. The chemical compounds that are contained in herbal materials have shown a wide range of benefits in the management of various diseases including challenging diseases/conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, sickle cell disease, malaria and other infectious diseases as well as noninfectious diseases such as diabetes, obesity, infertility, and so on. Despite the wide acceptance, benefits and sometimes the misconceptions: there is a compelling need for a decisive control of HMs to ensure that enough and correct information on herbal materials and herbal products are always available to especially healthcare providers and the general public particularly on subjects such as identification, quality, safety and efficacy of the HM.
