The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) on Wednesday organised a symposium on "The Bane and Blessings of Plant Medicine in Ghana," as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the institute.
The participants were drawn from the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFTRAM), Food and Drugs Board, Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM), College of Health Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Professor Marian Awurama Addy of the Biochemistry Department of the University of Ghana, who moderated the programme, noted that there is no dispute about the important role plant medicine plays in the lives of Ghanaians.
She said, however the efficacy and safety of the medicine should be based on scientific evidence.
Prof. Addy stressed the need for professionalism, collaboration and regulation to govern the practice of plant medicine practitioners.
Mr Sebastian Mawuli a representative of FDB, who spoke on Registration of Traditional Medicinal Products in Ghana, listed non-compliance of FDB's advert regulation on herbal preparations and lack of commitment of manufacturers of herbal products to meet international standards as challenges.
He said some herbal products that were randomly selected from the market and tested after passing through FDB's requirements and certification were later found to contain substances that were absent in the initial samples presented for testing and said such inconsistencies retarded efforts to ensure quality and efficacy of the products.
Mr Mawuli said the FDB was ready to support the growth of traditional medicine and practice in Ghana, to reach an international standard and urged practitioners to comply with the requirements of the board and collaborate with other entrepreneurs to help promote their practices to the highest level.
Dr Theophilus C. Fleischer, Head, Department of Herbal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, KNUST called for continuous education as an integral part of ensuring and expanding the knowledge base of human resources in plant medicines.
He expressed the need for a law to regulate training institutions and intensified public education on the use and effects of plant medicines.
Dr. Phyllis Addo, Head of Animal Experimentation, NMIMR, said the institute had collaborated with various institutions including the CSRPM as well as industries, to conduct various research.
She called on government to work on intellectual property rights of traditional medicinal practices to ensure ownership.
Dr. Addo said there was the need for documentation and the sustainable use of traditional medicines in Ghana.
Mr Peter Arhim, Director, Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate, MOH, expressed the hope that GHAFTRAM would come out with an authentic list of traditional herbal products that would meet FDB and international standards to be incorporated into the medicines required under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
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