ABSTRACT
The progress of industrialization in African countries is slow due to many reasons. These countries usually have shortage of various crucial materials necessary to improve their living standards and provide information. Traditional medicine is conceptualized as health practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs incorporating plant-, animal-, and mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose, and prevent illnesses and maintain well-being. The essential oil of Artemisia afra has antimicrobial properties. In South Africa, it is one of the most popular and commonly used herbal medicines for treating various ailments, from coughs and colds to malaria and diabetes. The scientific community in Africa has long realized the potential of natural products in modern health care. As such African chemists have been exploring the traditionally used medicine by way of validating their use for health care.
