Recent progess in phytotherapy: A Brazilian perspective

Introduction: Phytotherapy has very old origins and it is based on the use of medicinal plants to treat and prevent diseases. Brazil, because it is a country with wide biodiversity and cultural diversity, has great potential for the development of plant-based therapies ant it is considered an ideal scenario for the use of phytotherapy. Although a large part of the population uses medicinal plants, until recently, phytotherapy was not contemplated in the Brazilian health system. In this context, the objective of this study is to describe and discuss the development and challenges of phytotherapy in the Brazilian health system through a narrative review, as well as make a diagnosis of the current situation of this practice in the country.Methods: Data were collected in the period from 2018 to 2019 from Portal CAPES using online databases such as PUBMED, LILACS, Scielo, among others.Results: The situation of phytotherapy in Brazil started to change after the Declaration of Alma-Ata (1978), in which the World Health Organization recognized and encouraged phytotherapy. Initially, there were sparse attempts to establish phytotherapy in Brazil, and it was only in 2006, with the approval of two important policies (National Policy on Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicines and National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices) that this topic started to gain strength. Currently, phytotherapy services are being continuously implemented and expanded in the country, which has also led to an increase in demand for this practice. Yet, some obstacles such as the lack of knowledge and training of health professionals in medicinal plants makes it difficult to consolidate phytotherapy with the Brazilian Unified Public Health System.Conclusion: There is still much to be developed mainly in the field of research with native plants and professional training. An analysis of the evolution of phytotherapy in Brazil, though, may help in the overcome of the challenges to achieve an effective implementation of this practice in the country.