In a remarkable insight into the world of African Natural Medicine, Prof. Samson Amos of Cedarville University, United States of America (USA), has said that 40 per cent of pharmaceutical products find their origin in the reservoir of nature and traditional knowledge.
Speaking at the 2023 African Traditional Medicine Day celebration, held at the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, Prof. Amos, a fellow at National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in Abuja, underscored the significance of nature and indigenous knowledge in shaping contemporary pharmaceuticals.
“Around 40 per cent of pharmaceutical products today draw from nature and traditional knowledge. These include landmark drugs such as Aspirin, Artemisinin, Vincristine, Taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel from Pacific Yew), Quinine (from Cinchona), and Digoxin for heart conditions,” Amos disclosed during his presentation.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration between governmental bodies and traditional medicine practitioners, he cited the formal recognition of traditional knowledge by the Biden-Harris Administration in the United States as a positive precedent.
“We must work with governmental agencies and higher authorities to ensure a formal recognition of our indigenous medicines.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has formally recognised Indigenous Knowledge as one of the many important bodies of knowledge that contribute to the scientific, technical, social, and economic advancements of the United States and our collective understanding of the natural world.
“As the original stewards of the natural environment, tribes and indigenous communities have expertise critical to finding solutions to the health challenge crisis and protecting our nation’s ecosystems and health systems,” he stressed.
Furthermore, Prof. Amos underscored the necessity of transparency and fairness in dealings with traditional healers, advocating for the strengthening of their self-sufficiency and the establishment of mechanisms for equitable benefit sharing, including Intellectual Property Rights.
Addressing the institute’s challenges, he called for the development of traditional herbal medicine to meet the nation’s healthcare needs, while ensuring safety, effectiveness, registration, authentication of practitioners, and proper documentation of preparations and methods.
The African Traditional Medicine Day celebration for 2023, themed, “Preserving the Past, Empowering the Future,” featured distinguished speakers such as Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology; Mr. James Sule, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology; Prof. Martins Emeje, Director-General/Chief Executive of NNMDA and Dr. Ayodele Egieyeh from the University of Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
NNMDA used the occasion to foster discussions on national policies related to traditional medicine, the cultivation of medicinal plants, the training of traditional health practitioners, and their collaboration with conventional counterparts.
This year’s African Traditional Medicine Day observed on August 31, serves as a reminder of the indispensable role of traditional medicine in the health and well-being of Africans, particularly Nigerians.