There is cheering news for lovers
of Alternative medicine. This is good news!
Herbal
medicine is moving towards evidence-based medicine, says a key player and
Director of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories (PAXHERBALS), Mr.
Anselm Adodo.
This
progress, according to Mr.A. Adodo, who spoke at the Seventh National Congress
of Pax health care providers, which is an association of all distributors,
agents and scientists, would make herbal medicine evidence-based.
He said
the era of describing African Traditional medicine as fetish and pagan has long
gone.
Mr. Adodo
lamented: “Nigeria is still busy discussing whether herbal medicine is a good
source of healthcare or not while countries, such as China and India have
already invaded the world herbal market like a colossus”.
He continued:
“While the yearly world market for herbal medicine is estimated at over $100
billion, Nigerian professionals are busy attending seminars to convince people
of the efficacy of herbal medicine, while others are standing by the ringside
complaining about charlatans”.
The monk
called on the scientific community to join hands to develop African herbal
medicine.
Director-General,
Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Mr Sam Etatuvie praised
PAXHERBALS for its determination to open new frontiers in herbal medicine
research.
He said
his agency will collaborate with Paxherbals in working out a model of clinical
trials of herbal products and other Nigerian herbal products in line with
international regulations.
The Chief
Medical Director of Irrua specialist Teaching Hospital, Dr. Sylvanus Okogbenin,
represented by Dr Peter Akhinor, said Paxherbals is not just an herbal medicine
manufacturer but a full-blown research institute that is ready to move towards
clinical research and scientific verification of the claims of its herbal
products.
Okogbenin,
who chaired the committee set up the teaching hospital to discuss clinical
collaboration with Paxherbals, said he was initially skeptical about the
prospects of such a proposed partnership, but his doubts got dispelled after
learning about the serious research initiatives of PAXHERBALS.
He said
that he was satisfied with PAXHERBALS reputation as it currently trains over 38
science students from five Nigerian universities.
The
Commissioner for Health, Edo State, Dr Aihanuwa Eregie, represented by the
state’s Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Dr. Godwin Okonofua, thanked
PAXHERBALS for their achievement in changing the face of herbal medicine in
Nigeria and Africa, and thus encouraged them to remain steadfast in their
mission.
Other
speakers at the congress were the Catholic Bishop of Uromi Diocese, Rt. Rev.
Dr. Gabriel G. Dunia, Vice Chancellor, Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa,
Prof. Bernard Aigbokhan, Deputy-Vice Chancellor (academics), Ambrose Alli
University (AAU), Ekpoma, Prof. Jack Aigbodion, Head, Microbiology Department,
AAU, Ekpoma, Prof. Mrs. E. Ohenen and Prof. MacDonald Idu of the Department of
Phytomedicine, University of Benin (UNIBEN), among others.
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