Experts urge collaboration in herbal medicine

The Hall of St Leo Catholic Church,Ikeja, Lagos was filled to capacity as different people- men, women, priests, and youths adorned in various attires took their seats inside the expansive hall.

They were Pax Herbal products distributors and it was their conference. They were there to listen to efforts being made to improve traditional medicine.

The the keynote speaker, Director- Genera/CEO of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, Prof Babatunde Salako, urged researchers in Traditional Medicine (TM) and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to improve their networking at the national level as it has been very poor.

Salako spoke on the theme: Strengthening capacity for clinical research in herbal medicine: Challenges and opportunities, adding  that networking will assist in repositioning Traditional Medicine, and Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) as a veritable choice in healthcare delivery, as rightly recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Salako said poor networking is drawing back traditional medicine, “It is sad that Regional networking is virtually non-existent. Networking at the global level is also poor.  Research into TM is the way to go now, as it is  an essential tool for improving health, human development and health equity.It  can deliver widespread population changes that contribute to sustainable development in a nation; and the need for research to respond to health, social, technology and agricultural challenges that slow down progress in national development”.

He encouraged stakeholders in the sector to collaborate and seek out grants that assist them carry out their research work, “as research assured continue uptake and popularity. TM and CAM products are sold all over the world. Growing economic importance may reduce health care cost; and need for safe products and practices. Research in TM brings development and upgrading. It integrates TM within national health care systems, where feasible, by developing and implementing national TM policies and programmes. Research will also promote safety, efficacy and quality of TM just as it will expand the knowledge base, and provide guidance on regulatory and quality assurance standards.

“And when the right research is done, everybody will be happy as access will be guaranteed — increase the availability and affordability of TM, with an emphasis on access for poor populations and rational use assured, as it promotes therapeutically sound use of appropriate TM by practitioners and consumers”.

For effective research effort to be fruitful and impactful, Prof Salako encouraged researchers and potential researchers in TM and CAM to bear four points in mind, “Effective research has four pre-requisites, individual research skills and ability; appropriate infrastructure; relevance to national policies; and ability to contribute to global research and policy needs.

“The target for TM research must take into consideration the need of the community. There is poor stakeholder involvement in TM research. Linkages with users of TM research findings must be strengthened”.

The convener, Rev. Father Anselm Adodo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories, Ewu-Ishan, Edo State, said the essence of the Pax Congress was to ensure an interface between the distributors of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories’ products so as to improve on the products.

Rev. Father Adodo said the over one thousand distributors are the face of the products, “We are not interested in just selling but how the products are benefiting the users, or if there are complaints on how they are reacting on any organ, and best way to address that.  The distributors get feedback from the consumers, we take those feed backs, and work on areas we need to improve on, on the products.

“It is from this that we know that there are yearnings to have the products shipped abroad. We are yet to satisfy the demands of Nigerians. We are assiduously exploring this. We do know research will make it possible, and that is the essence of this year’s theme. There is need for research in herbal medicine, and there is urgent need for collaboration in research in herbal medicine. “

Rev. Father Adodo wished government could pump in more money into herbal medic development and research, “so as to bring answers to many diseases and ill health conditions described as terminal, chronic or incurable. If Nigerian herbal researchers and herbal producers are encouraged by government, traditional healers will definitely come up with solutions to the many hitherto diseases affecting the globe. Nature has answer to every disease that ails man.”

He lamented that to be a producer in Nigeria is one of the most difficult things, but the will is there, “If government  votes some money into this area, then all will go well with innovations, research, packaging, developing, and registration/listing of herbal products”.