Advancing Herbal Medicine in Nigeria: A Plea to President Tinubu for Integration into Higher Education by MD Fekomi Global

Let me start by congratulating you on your victory at the last general election poll. It is indeed a milestone achievement and a great opportunity to contribute your quota to the development of our great nation. Your Excellency, as you mark this significant breakthrough, I am sure, the economic challenges facing this country will continue to occupy your mind and it’s your utmost priority as you kick-start your administration.

Many Nigerians including myself applaud the work and effort of your government during your time as Lagos State Governor years back, you laid the foundation of the modern-day Lagos economic success story and success. Your administration’s ability to revive Lagos State’s educational and health system awakens dead bright brain Lagosians who are now shining stars all over the world.
This includes significant spending which enabled the retooling of schools with state-of-the-art buildings and also Academic staff welfare was greatly improved for those who are at the forefront of academic achievement in the state. Based on your sparkling record, our expectations are huge; our trust in your ability is far above the sky.

Your Excellency, why the focus remains on the kinetic approach to tackling the country’s economic challenge is indeed and indeed necessary, it is important in my humble opinion that you also pay much attention to a very missing component of the health and education system.
That brings me to the main topic: The Integration of Herbal Medicine or Africa Traditional Health Knowledge and Practice into higher educational institutions as a certified program and licensed field of study in Nigeria and Africa at large.

Herbal medicine is a significant part of alternative medicine. It is a part and parcel of alternative treatment methods. Herbal medicine involves the use of different parts of the plant. Parts of the plant have medicinal properties. These parts include the leaves, stem, fruits, seeds, flowers, and roots.

These medicinal properties of the plants are from chemical compounds that are naturally found in the plants. These chemicals are the nutrients that makeup deficiencies of the chemicals when they are introduced into the body. Herbal medicine can both be preventive and curative. Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world. Indeed, it has been very well studied and documented in some countries of the world.

For example, there is Ayurvedic medicine in India and Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine in China. It is also widely used in other European and Asian countries.

Coming nearer Home in Africa, different African countries have for a long time used all sorts of herbs for the treatment of different types of diseases.

The problem of Herbal medicine in Nigeria is that it is not well documented. Practitioners all over the country have died not having recorded the knowledge of Herbal medicine for descendants.

Mr. President, how long do we wish to let go of our ancestor’s knowledge? Our fathers lived for many years without modern medicine, yet, they solely depended on Africa’s Traditional health systems. Yes, modern medicine is here to stay, should that mean we should trash Herbal medicine?

Is there value in Africa’s Health System? What are the contributions of herbal medicine to the modern biomedical system? Medicinal plants play a vital role in the development of new drugs. According to WHO, nearly 25% of modern medicines have been derived from plants being used in traditional medicine. Herbal medicine is considered by many to offer an alternative treatment for various diseases, particularly, lifestyle diseases that require lifelong Pharmaceutical medication and this raises safety concerns. It is also believed by traditional medical practitioners that the Phyto-constituents present in herbal medicine have better compatibility with the human system.

Now the WHO has recognized herbal medicine as a crucial component of primary health care.
Plant-based drugs have contributed revolutionarily to modern therapeutics. Like, vinblastine from the Catharanthus roseus is successfully used in treating Hodgkins, choriocarcinoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, leukemia in children, testicular, and neck cancer (Farnsworth and Bingel, 1977). Podophyllotoxin, isolated from Podophyllum emodi, is efficaciously used against testicular, lung cancer, and lymphomas.

Moreover, many researchers in recent decades have recognized several other chemical compounds derived from plant sources including quinine, digoxin, aspirin, ephedrine, atropine, and colchicine etc.
I can go on and on. Your Excellency, we have all it takes to challenge the world’s Pharmaceutical giants, training, and documentation are very important and a missing link to help Africa’s traditional health system contribute to the modern medical system.

If truly herbal medicine has contributed so much to modern Western medicine, is it not worth developing through educational integration? If successfully integrated, our great nation stands to benefit all. Firstly, with proper training and certifications, Nigeria will be producing professionally certified herbal medicine practices recognized by biomedical systems, prescribing, and administering in his qualified field.
Secondly, the opportunity of being at the forefront of plant-based drug research.

Thirdly: the economic advantages: a successful drug discovery lead to huge commercialization.
Mr. President, by integrating herbal medicine into our high institutional system, we have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Traditional health knowledge and practices remain a primary source of health services for most African communities. Despite this, the training of health professionals in Nigeria and other African countries’ higher education institutions remains underpinned by western medicine-based paradigms. Adversely perpetuating the health disparities and widening the gap between health professionals and African health service users.

Barriers to co-existence of African and biomedical health systems and strategies to facilitate integration. This venture revealed that the successful integration of African traditional health knowledge and practices into existing medical curricula requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders in transforming and recognizing the value of African traditional medicine.

Some years back, universities in South Africa experienced socio-political eruptions with students and activist groups calling for the decolonization of higher education curricula. The calls are linked to students’ discontent with Western methods inherent in university teaching and learning paradigms. Many education institutions have been at loggerheads in responding to calls for decolonization and transformation
and seem to have contrasting views when attempting to conceptualize the concepts. Of particular concern are critical questions regarding what should be decolonized, who should be transformed, and how the process should unfold. Historically the training of biomedical health workers In Africa has not included the alternative modalities of care, especially those commonly used among indigenous African populations. Therefore, most biomedical health workers are often unwilling or unsure of how to manage patients who have been to African traditional medicine practitioners.

Due to the lack of knowledge and awareness among biomedical health workers, more often than not the use of traditional medicine goes unnoticed or is not even interrogated during health assessments of patients. The results are often unfavorable for patients due to the potential counter effects arising from the new treatment interventions in the biomedical system. Traditional health workers are often indicted in instances where there are adverse health outcomes for patients who seek medical care in health facilities after having sought help from such traditional health practitioners. These points to a dire need for the preparation of biomedical health workers for them to be aware of traditional health prescriptions for such patients and where possible, collaborate with traditional health practitioners.

Conclusion

Reforms in the education and health landscape in Nigeria and Africa have triggered the long overdue dialogue among different institutions of learning. However, the process of transformation and decolonization will not be possible, without the input and involvement of not only higher education institutions but also from the society. Practical and realistic strategies at policy levels must also address the existing gaps in integrating the multifaceted health system. To achieve this, support is required from policymakers in ensuring the recognition and respect for African indigenous knowledge systems across all spheres of health care.

My candid opinion, your Excellency.

Thank you sir, komiyo Lawrence Adefemi, MD/CEO, Fekomi Global LTD.