Taking traditional medicine to the next level in NIgeria

…as experts call for the establishment of Traditional Medicine Board

There is no gain saying that over 60 percent of Nigerians patronise different forms of traditional medicine (TM) practice and the trade accruing from traditional medicine only is estimated to be over USD1billion.

However, what is worrisome is that while countries like China and India have developed their TM such as acupuncture to become globally accepted and are reaping billions of dollars in foreign exchange, Nigeria is still grappling with giving legislative backing to a practice which is sustaining millions of Nigerians that cannot afford orthodox treatment.

In an interview with BusinessDay with Tamuno Okujagu, Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), said that traditional medicine has been with mankind al binito and has contributed immensely the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledges the growing need and potentials of TM and continues to encourage and support its promotion, documentation and research with a view of further developing its potentials and use.

He stated that as Nigeria joins the African continent to celebrate a decade of African Traditional medicine (ATM) with the theme “Universal access and Human Rights”, there is the need for stakeholders in the country to take stock of activities during the decade, the achievements, challenges, lessons learnt from the promotion of TM medicine with a view of chartering a way forward for its integration into the nation’s healthcare system.

Okujagu disclosed that the Federal Government through the Agency produced the first draft policy and legal instrument for Intellectual Property Right (IPR) regime for Traditional Medicine Knowledge and Practice (TMKP) with the draft policy titled: “Traditional knowledge and biological resources protection Act.

In his words “The draft policy is the basis for a proposed draft bill, which builds on an international consensus that traditional knowledge and genetic resources should not be misappropriated, and that some form of protection is required to achieve this. The rights of holders to the effective protection of their knowledge against misappropriation should be recognised and respected. Although the draft policy is the first working document on mechanism for IPR for traditional medicine knowledge and practice, it has not been sent to the National Assembly.”

The Director General added that more needs to be done to further achieve the outcomes of issues of policy, legal framework, institutionalizing TM, inauguration of National Board to regulate traditional medicine, establishment of centers of excellence, promotion of laboratory and clinical evaluation, development of local production, to mention but a few.

Lending his view at a one day symposium to commemorate African Traditional Medicine day in Lagos recently, Mukhtar Abdurahman, Vice Chancellor, Kaduna State University, revealed that disregard for the role of traditional medicine in primary healthcare system by policy makers, lack of sufficient scientific data on safety, efficacy, and quality of TM, absence of regulatory policies as well as problems arising from activities of traditional practitioners are the major challenges facing the sector.

Abdurahman stated that the main objective of the plan of action as agreed by African union head of states and governments at a summit held in Lusaka, Zambia in July 2001 was the recognition, acceptance, development and integration of TM into the public healthcare system of the region.

“Priority areas were developed; sensitization of the society on TM, legislation of TM, institutional arrangement, resource mobilization, research and training, cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants, local production of standardization ATM, partnerships, to mention but a few. Taking a cursory look at the current situation, Nigeria hasn’t fared so well hence the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant agencies need to pursue the mandate for developing safe and high quality traditional medicine for all,” Abdurahman concluded.

With the launch of WHO’s comprehensive traditional medicine strategy in 2002, which was designed to assist countries develop national policies on the evaluation and regulation for TM practices, promote therapeutically sound use of TM by providers and consumers, a lot needs to be done to the government towards creating the enabling environment to facilitate the development of TM.

For Bunmi Omoseyindemi, Chairman, Lagos state Traditional medicine board, the integration of traditional medicine into the nation’s healthcare system will go a long way in improving the current poor health index.

Omoseyindemi disclosed that “Unlike Nigeria, Ghana and other neighbouring country have centers of excellence where research on traditional medicine is done and training and degrees awarded. In this way, adequate science evidence base is developed and appropriate information to the public is made.”

It is important to state that the bill seeking the establishment of Traditional Medicine Council still before the national assembly waiting its passage into law. It will be recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on August 16, 2006, approved a draft policy and a bill on the regulation and practice of traditional medicine in the country. The bill is titled: “Establishment of the Nigerian Traditional Medicine Policy and the Bill to Establish the Traditional Medical Council of Nigeria.”

So, traditional medicine has much to offer global health, especially as new drugs have never been more urgently needed. No doubt, with joined research capacities in equitable collaborations, new scientific techniques could spark a revival in global health research and development. At least, Artemisinin, which is extracted from Artemisia annua or Chinese sweet wormwood, is the basis for the most effective malaria drugs the world has ever seen till date.
by Alexander Chiejina