Foreword

The purpose of this Conference was to bring specialists together in Genoa to discuss issues related to ethnopharmacology, anthropology, health and disease within a multicultural and multidisciplinary framework. We can now say that this goal is being achieved. Over 400 researchers from 61 countries are going to present 41 major lectures, 300 communications and 70 posters in a cooperative effort to put forward clear proposals for "a science at the service of everybody". This is particularly necessary at a moment of transformations and, consequently, of uncertainty.

The University of Genoa and the recently created Department of Anthropological Sciences have the honour of hosting physicians, pharmacologists, anthropologists, botanists, psychologists and historians with the awareneness that this is a unique opportunity to promote new cultural approaches to health related issues in the near future.

During the preparation of the Conference, the Promoting Committee was actively involved in the organization and the spreading of information. Particular attention was paid to the numerous requests of participation coming from the economically less prosperous countries: unfortunately we could satisfy only few of them. We are sorry we were not able to give everybody the opportunity to meet in Genoa. I wish to commemorate our colleague the late Italo Taddei, former Chairman of the Italian Society of Phytotherapy and member of the Scientific Committee.

The Chairman