Joerg Gruenwald & Juergen Skrabal09.01.04
The International Kava Conference
This event will bring together the authorities in kava to discuss its status on the world market.
By Joerg Gruenwald & Juergen Skrabal
The International Kava Conference (IKC) 2004, which is scheduled for November 30th through December 2nd in Suva, Fiji, is expected to go beyond the normal scientific congress. It represents a major step forward in efforts to identify why kava, which has been used as a traditional drink in the South Pacific for more than 1000 years without showing any kind of severe adverse effects, is now in under suspicion of causing severe hepatic (liver) failures. Therefore, the IKC 2004 will not only serve as a platform for an international board of specialists in the field of pharmacology and toxicology to present and discuss their new findings, with respect to the importance of quality control mechanisms, it will also bring together a wide range of parties involved in the growing, trading and processing of kava, in addition to representatives of the governments of the kava-producing Pacific Islands states. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO), whose collaborating pharmacovigilance centers are currently reevaluating kava, has expressed its interest in the new findings to be presented at the conference and has announced it will be present at the IKC 2004.
Why the Need for a Kava Conference?
After the highly disputed bans on kava products, imposed by health authorities of several countries, the safety and efficacy of kava has been controversially discussed in the public and among scientists. Opponents and proponents of kava have reviewed the available data on the safety and efficacy of kava, interpreted this data and voiced their interpretations to the public.
However, in the last two years scientists around the world have performed or continued research on kava, investigating the differences in the qualitative and quantitative composition of various kava sources, pharmacological and toxicological properties of the extract and single constituents etc., to resolve the situation, which remains ambiguous. Some of these studies have already been published, but the vast majority of recent research results still await presentation and discussion.
At a meeting with the German Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Klaus Theo Schroeder, in Berlin at the beginning of April this year, the International Kava Executive Council (IKEC), supported by renown scientists and the Ambassadors of Fiji and Samoa, came to agreement regarding an appropriate design for the generation of new data for kava, which was accepted by both parties. As the proposed study designs have now passed the evaluation of the German health authorities and are in the final stages of preparation, preliminary results or at least an update on the status of these studies might also be available in time for the conference.
IKC 2004 will be a very timely event for these experts to get together to discuss and evaluate new findings with respect to kava. Against this background, IKEC, together with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Fiji School of Medicine (FSM) and the University of the South Pacific (USP), is in the process of organizing IKC 2004, which will take place in Suva, Fiji. The conference will be primarily supported by the EU Centre for Development of Enterprise (CDE)* and PRO INVEST**.
Program and Goals of IKC 2004
The IKC will consist of several plenary and parallel sessions. Apart from the two major scientific sessions, clinical safety and efficacy and new research results from pharmacological and toxicological studies, quality control will constitute the third major topic at the IKC 2004. With respect to the numerous varieties of kava, only a reliable quality control system with well established standard operating procedures (SOPs), as well as regular controls will assure the best quality kava raw material from the kava-producing states.
In a special session, representatives of the governments of the South Pacific kava-producing countries will discuss legislation, which will rule the growing and trading of kava with kava traders, growers, producers and scientists. Another special session will deal with future perspectives for growers and traders in the South Pacific.
The major goals to be achieved at the IKC 2004 are:
• To provide an international and interdisciplinary forum for discussions on the scientific and regulatory situation of kava;
• To evaluate new scientific data on toxicity and efficacy of kava;
• To discuss these findings together with scientists and representatives of health authorities;
• To create improved quality control systems for kava raw material from the South Pacific; and
• To identify possible ways to secure the future of the local kava industry and improved living conditions in rural communities
At the end of the IKC, a resolution based on the results of the sessions will be formulated and distributed to all interested parties.NW