AFRICAN COUNTRIES URGED TO PROMOTE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

…As experts lament Nigeria’s poor herbal productivity and export
by Azoma Chikwe and Simeon Mpamugoh
A resolution has been passed, urging African Union (AU) to bring to the fore the role, vast potentials, importance and challenges of traditional medicine in Africa.This is to highlight the vast potentials of traditional medicine in Africa and encourage research, development and promotion of traditional medicine.

Briefing the press at this year’s African Traditional Medicine Day, Conservation of Medicine Plants: Africa’s Heritage, Director General Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, disclosed that the resolution enjoined AU member states to translate the strategy into realistic national policies on traditional medicine, backed with appropriate legislation, strategies and plans for specific interventions at local, national and regional levels so as to collaborate actively with partners in its implementation and evaluation.

He said an estimated 80 – 85 per cent of Africa’s population relies on traditional medicine for their basic healthcare needs, especially at the primary health delivery level, adding that traditional medicine, in some cases, is the main source of health care delivery available, accessible and affordable to many people on the continent.
“The significant contribution of traditional medicine as major provider of healthcare delivery in Africa cannot be underestimated.”According to Okujagu: “In most parts of Africa, traditional and western medicine exist side by side and many people use either or both kinds of treatment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a comprehensive traditional medicine strategy in 2002, emphasizing on the documentation, development and promotion of traditional medicines, herbal remedies and medicinal plants through research and development of stronger evidence based on safety, efficacy and quality of the traditional products and practices.”
He described traditional medicine as wealth of the future if it is made to work in Nigeria, adding that it has the potential to generate a lot of revenue fo the country such as in China and Brazil.His words: “Several projects have been initiated to develop, promote, preserve and protect the nation’s traditional medicine products and practices.”
He noted that since 1966, the Federal Government had initiated several activities to develop traditional medicine, pointing out the traditional medicine policy, draft bill for the establishment of a Traditional Medicine Council are awaiting the National Assembly’s consideration.World Health Organisation (WHO) annual report says that yearly revenue in Western Europe on herbal medicine reached USD5billion in 2003 and 2004.
In China alone, sales of herbal products totaled USD14 million in 2005, while in Brazil, herbal medicine revenue as at 2007 was to the tune of USD160million.SOURCE: dailysun, sept 13, 2011