NAFDAC Tasks Herbal Practitioners To Take Advantage Of ACEDHARS

The Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has urged herbal practitioners to take advantage of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science, ACEDHARS to support universal health coverage in the country.

She disclosed this at the Inaugural Symposium and Launching of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Drug Research, Herbal Medicine Development and Regulatory Science, ACEDHARS, University of Lagos recently, said the development of herbal medicines can contribute significantly to universal health coverage in Nigeria.

The Director-General, while delivering the keynote speech at the event with the theme: “Drug Development from African Medicinal Plants said that investment in herbal medicine research and development would positively impact the economy of the pharmaceutical traditional medicine industry.

“Herbal medicines are very important to healthcare delivery and can contribute significantly to universal health coverage in our country.

“Despite the widespread use, traditional medicines have not yet been integrated into the national healthcare system of many developing countries including Nigeria.

“The increasing use of herbal medicine despite general lack of research on some of this product is a call for concern.

“Investment in herbal medicine research and development is needed from all stakeholders including the government, so we can benefit from whatever God has given to us freely.

According to her, ACEDHARS is very important to Nigeria because of the focus which is the development of herbal medicine for the use of the people.

“This centre will function to ensure that adequate research is conducted and clinical trials are done on herbal products before usage.

“As it were, some herbal medicine gets to the market without adequate research and clinical trials to confirm their safety and efficacy.

Herbal practitioners must have continued education, even if they have before and for those that don’t have, this centre will be of immense benefit to them expand their horizons.

“They can take short courses and if they are not well schooled, they can have somebody in their organisation that can attend,” she said.

Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor, the University of Lagos, represented by Prof. Obinna Chukwu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, said that there was a need to tap into the indigenous knowledge of herbal practitioners.

Ogundipe described the symposium as timely in examining the challenges, opportunities as well as regulatory approach for drug development for African medicinal plants.

“We must appreciate the fact that the herbal medicines we have are quite efficacious and there is the need for us to tap into the indigenous knowledge.

“Some herbal medicines are quite useful in addressing several ailments but the problem is that some of these medicines had been seen as a cure for all ailments which the Yoruba call “gbogbo nice”.