Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR) at Mampong in the Eastern region, Professor Alex Asaase, says the Centre is focused on working to make herbal medicine a natural option for all illnesses.
He says Ghana stands to benefit from the economic fortunes of herbal medicine if the practice is made an option for all illnesses.
The cost involved in exporting medication into the country, according to the Professor, will be saved and channeled into harnessing plant medicine, the economic benefit of which, will be in Ghana’s interest.
Prof. Asaase was speaking during the opening ceremony of the 3rd Centre’s Oku Ampofo Memorial (COAM) Excellence in Biomedical Research and Innovation conference in Accra on the theme; Plant Medicine Research: Harnessing our Heritage for our Healing, when he made the comments.
He believes the transformation of research into health will come with a commercialised strategy.
“We recognise that transforming research into health not only involves scientific research but having a comprehensive commercialisation strategy,” he stated.
He added that “the introduction of a dedicated strategy to focus on potential economic impact of herbal medicine is a major step towards achieving the objective of ensuring herbal medicine contributes substantially to economic growth.”
Many Ghanaians are turning to traditional herbal remedies as a natural and affordable alternative to Western medicine. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was a major boost for this trend, when people sought to boost their immune system with herbs as a defense to the ailment.
Experts say the shift towards herbal medicine is also driven by the high cost of conventional medicine, making it inaccessible to many. Herbal medicine, on the other hand, is often seen as a more affordable and accessible option.
Some popular herbal remedies in Ghana include the neem tree, aloe vera, and ginger, which are used to treat a range of ailments from malaria and fever to skin conditions and digestive issues.
While the resurgence of interest in herbal medicine has its benefits, experts caution that safety and efficacy must be ensured through proper research and regulation. It is for this reason that Prof. Asaase is calling enhanced research into the sector which he believes will inadvertently boost Ghana’s economy.
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