Herbal preparations are rampantly used in the treatment of AIDS in endemic regions. Despite beneficial effects from the use of some plant preparations, the issues that still have to be addressed comprise the interaction between herbal preparations and antiretrovirals, lack of conclusive clinical trials of widely used plants, and ethical issues surrounding the practices of traditional healers. The burden presented by AIDS requires an urgent need for closer collaboration among scientists, medical practitioners and traditional systems of medicine to evaluate promising herbal preparations rigorously, and develop policies and guidelines for the judicious use of herbs with proven clinical benefit.