Professor of Pharmacognosy, Prof. Maurice Iwu, has said that Nigeria should not be compared with other African countries, on traditional medicine, rather it should be compared with countries like Indian and China.
Iwu, said this on Monday in Abuja, while delivering his keynote address on the commemoration of the 2021, African Traditional Medicine (ATM), organized by the Head of Department Traditional, Complementary & Alternative Medicines (TCAM), Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH).
Tribune Online reports that every August 31st, the continent celebrate ATM Day to promote the important role of the continent’s rich biodiversity of medicinal plants and herbs in improving well-being.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates around 80 percent of the population on the African continent relies on traditional medicine for their basic health needs.
ATM involves diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Diviners are responsible for determining the cause of illness, which in some cases are believed to stem from ancestral spirits and other influences.
Iwu said there were three essential elements of ATM, which the country has like the active medicinal substance, which, he said may be plants, soil, insects or animal parts.
“The spiritual forces, including benevolent forces, ancestors, the gods and God; and
The human spirit which includes the healer and the patient himself,” he explained.
According to Iwu, the role of plants in ATM is that plants form the main active ingredients of the remedies dispensed by the medicine men and women, with the ancillary ingredients or excipients.
“Plants also perform other very important functions in the healing processes. As sources of vital energy, and in some sense a participatory entity, rather than a lifeless object used in healing. Traditional African medicine, therefore, presents an enigma to most western trained minds,” he noted.
He also raised the issue of mainstreaming ATM into the country’s national healthcare system. “lack of effective communication between practitioners and patients; use of poor quality, adulterated or counterfeit products; unqualified practitioners; misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or failure to use effective conventional treatments when necessary.
“Amongst others were exposure to misleading or unreliable information; and direct adverse events, side effects or unwanted treatment interactions.”
Iwu also disclosed that he had obtained NAFDAC approval to conduct clinical trials on Artemisinin.
“We have also obtained all necessary ethics approvals. The primary objective is
to observe and evaluate the safety of Artemisinin and a herbal supplement on COVID-19 subjects.
“While, the secondary objective is to observe and evaluate the efficacy of Artemisinin – a herbal supplement on COVID- 19 subjects,” he added.
Also speaking, the former acting Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Anthony Elujoba, disclosed that in an assessment by the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), on the ladder of the institutionalization of ATM, Nigeria came second position with 87 percent next to Ghana with 93 percent.
Elujobo who is also a professor of Pharmacognosy at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the university noted that Ghana came first because they had three significant things in place, a Bachelor of Science degree in ATM, a Traditional Medicine Council bill understood by their medical doctors.
“I see no reason why Nigerians should not come first as the giant of Africa, but, looking at what led to Ghana coming first is what we can replicate in Nigeria,” he said.
The WHO representative, Dr Kofi Boateng EPI Focal Point, Universal Health Coverage(UHC), said that the world was still battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
“WHO recognizes that traditional, complementary and alternative medicine has many benefits when properly harnessed. Therefore, researches into our traditional medicines is an effort in the right direction.
“WHO Nigeria has taking it up to support the ministry and in particular the department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, Complimentary in the review of the Traditional Medicines Policy 2007, review of the Nigeria Pharmacopoeia 2008 and the development of a 5-year strategic plan to implement the new policy and the revised pharmacopoeia.”
WHO will continue to provide technical assistance to the TCAM department, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NPRD) and NAFDAC in improving the quality of medicinal products and ensuring the listing of these products in the National Essential Medicines List.
Boateng added that the WHO remains committed to continue supporting the government of Nigeria in its goal of achieving self-sufficiency in the local production of pharmaceuticals; including vaccines, traditional medicine and researches.
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