By Yinusa Ishola
Omu-Aran (Kwara) – A trado-medical practitioner, Mr Sunday Gbakanladow, has called for recognition, promotion and patronage of traditional medicine by government and other stakeholders towards combating infections and diseases.
He made the call on Monday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government area of Kwara.
NAN reports that Gbakanladow, a Programme Officer with the Kwara chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), is currently a presidential aspirant of the association.
He said that the call for such synergy was informed by the need to explore other areas of medical practices in tackling the emergence of new diseases, such as Ebola, Lassa fever and COVID-19.
Gbakanladow said that such recognition would also provide workable synergy between government and the association towards evolving effective vaccines in combating deadly infections and diseases.
The trado-medical practitioner said that the lack of concrete linkages and access to relevant government agencies remained one of the major challenges confronting the association.
According to him, “in spite of the proven competence and efficacy of our products through research analysis, the barriers between government and our members still remain very wide.”
Gbakanladow said that the non-availability of a strong political will on the part of government towards developing the nation’s trado-medical sector was also a stumbling block.
“There is no harm in giving the needed legislative and financial backings towards transforming the trado-medical practices in the country.
“Even a University of Traditional Medicine can be established with modern and well-equipped laboratories for research and clinical analysis of products.
“I can tell you boldly that we have products with proven efficacy on most of these viral infections and diseases like Ebola and the rest.
“The story of trado-medicine, not only in Africa as a continent, but globally, has been well-known since time immemorial.
“Successive governments in Nigeria are only paying lip services towards developing the trado-medical sector,” he said.
Gbakanladow listed China as one of the leading countries in the area of promoting trado-medical practices with various products in form of tea and food supplements that were presently doing well in the international markets.
He urged the Federal Ministries of Science and Technology, Health, Agriculture and other relevant government agencies to create an enabling environment for trado-medical practices to thrive in the country.
“Nigeria, with its fertile land and home to various tree species as raw materials, can become one of the best promoters of trado-medical practices, if properly harnessed.
“NANTMP, as presently constituted, with members nationwide, can boast of seasoned and qualified academics who can stand the test of time,” he said.
(NAN)