Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) is backing a project to research the use of herbal medicines for diabetes by the Cree nation.
The NHPD will work with the Institute of Aboriginal People's Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), as part of a new CIHR initiative to support multidisciplinary research networks and new information in under-resourced subject areas.
Over the next three years the project will investigate the use of traditional medicinal plants in the treatment of diabetes by the Cree nation of northern Quebec. It will explore both biomedical herbal medicine research and exploration of natural health products within a traditional practice of health and healing.
A memorandum of understanding between the NHPD and CIHR was signed last week.
The project is one of 23, to receive more than $30 million in funding altogether, through the New Emerging Team (NET) grant program, designed to explore today's pressing health research questions.
The NHPD will be holding a series of information sessions on the new Natural Health Products Regulations this month, aimed at manufacturers, packagers, importers and distributors of natural health products.