Dr. Cyrus MacFoy

Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in Sierra Leone

Medicinal plants and traditional healers play a critical role in West African health care, especially in treating HIV and AIDS. Dr. Cyrus MacFoy, professor of biology, researcher, and scientific consultant, presents more than 200 plants used by African practitioners to treat more than 100 diseases and illnesses. He includes findings on conservation, sustainable use, and development of new drugs; alternative techniques into the health care delivery system; and chemical analyses and biological activity testing of plant species.