WELCOME TO METRAF

• Herbal Medicine Production
• NutriStar Fortified Drink Production
• Food Additive Manufacturing Projects
• Income Generating Activities
• Intellectual Property Right Activities
• Micro-enterprise Projects
• Revolving Mico Loan Projects
• METRAF FM RAdio
• Way of Remembering Cultural Project

Development policies in Africa continue to overlook the important contribution of traditional knowledge, indigenous culture, genetic resources and the rich folklore of the continent. The components of positive development—improved health, job creation and poverty reduction, community wellness, biodiversity protection, increased global trade and positive cultural recognition – are all outcomes of the research and positive development of Africa’s traditional medicine and indigenous knowledge systems.

There is an urgent need to protect the knowledge and treasures of Africa. It is within this framework, and convinced that traditional values are essential in all positive development, that PROMETRA International undertakes various activities in the area of Intellectual Property Rights Protection.

•  PRO.ME.TRA International serves as an expert consultant to the African Organization for Intellectual Property – OAPI, whose headquarters in located in Yaounde, Cameroon
• PRO.ME.TRA International is designated by the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO, as a structure who is able to participate within the framework of different meetings to work toward the legal protection of traditional knowledge, genetic resources and folklore
• PRO.ME.TRA International participated in various international meetings on the topic of intellectual property rights and specifically addressing the protection of African traditional knowledge
  

In an effort to help African citizens and organizations understand and work toward improved intellectual property protection, Dr. Erick Gbodossou authored a book entitled, “Protection of Intellectual Property – A Practical Guide” which was published by METRAF Editions in July 2003. This guide provides basic and background information on the topics and «how to» for obtaining trademarks, copyrights and patents.

Coming Soon

The Unit for the production, packaging, and distribution of Medicines based on Medicinal Plants aims at producing, packaging and distributing patented medicines based on medicinal plants issued from the African pharmacopeia and the know-how of its traditional practitioners, who assure the efficiency and the innocuousness of the medicines.

Objectives:
The objectives of the Economic Interest Group Medicines and Traditions of Africa (METRAF GIE), within the current project, come in two orders:

• Build up a unit for the production, packaging, and distribution of medicines based on medicinal plants.
• Produce medicinal plants required for the preparation of medicines that can address a wide range of diseases like HIV/AIDS, diabetes, hepatitis, dermatosis …which ravage the people of Africa and the rest of the world.