Yemisi Izuora
Traditional medicine practitioners in the southwest are meeting in Lagos state in the first step toward launching of a nationwide clinical verification that will authenticate and certify various local medicines in the country.
This follows a Memorandum of Understanding recently endorsed by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, with the Nigerian Council of Physicians of Natural Medicine, NCPNM, to establish collaborations and cooperation between the two bodies for the search and development of Nigerian indigenous natural medicinal products with potential health and economic benefits.
The national president of NCPNM, professor Magnus Atilade said the practitioners would be hosted by NIMR in Lagos in the first step of the verification exercise.
Atilade said the exercise is the first of its kind after several years of failed efforts to address issues bothering on acceptance of indigenous medicines and according such products the recognition it deserved.
The president recalled that before introduction of orthodox medicine, Nigerians and indeed Africa relied on use of local herbs to treat all sorts of ailments and Africans and mortality rate in those days was high.
He said in Asia, and South America, traditional medicine have developed significantly because their governments have recognised their efficacy and backed practitioners research efforts.
According to him, the goal of the MOU, is to use the strengths and expertise of the NIMR to prove and develop the potentials of these natural medicinal products as claimed by NCPNM and other stakeholders into scientifically sound and globally credible medicines and patents.
Operating within the instrumentality of the MOU, both NIMR and NCPNM would conduct scientific investigations, clinical trials, pharmacokinetic and toxicity studies and such others as may be deemed needful or recommended by reputable authorities suggested by NIMR management.
This aims at proving the efficacy, vetting the safety and eventually. Developing such natural medicinal products into commercially registered medicine and patents.
Atilade said the verification would be a nationwide exercise beginning with the southwest.
“We want to be relevant in the country’s health care delivery system. We are ready to collaborate with government in this regard, the country is spending huge sums of money to import drugs that ordinarily would have been sourced locally.
This effort will not only benefit the middle and low income Nigerians but will create more jobs because the MOU will also lead to training of more people and investment in this area” Atilade said.