Originally published September 27 2005
President of Ghana stresses need for focus on indigenous medical knowledge
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Ghanaweb.com reports that Ghana President Agya Kwaku Appiah has called for medical practitioners and scientists to tap the indigenous people's knowledge of medicine, as the more unorthodox herbal treatments may hold the secrets to treating ailments such as malaria.
Mr. Agya Kwaku Appiah, President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFTRAM) on Wednesday stressed the need to tap indigenous knowledge in medicine for the benefit of the country.
"We need the assistance of orthodox practitioners, research scientists and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to unearth the wealth of indigenous knowledge in medicine," he added.
Mr. Appiah was speaking at the launching of the third African Traditional Medicine Day and the sixth Ghana Traditional Medicine Week celebration in Tamale.
The MOH in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and GHAFTRAM organised the day, under the theme: "African Traditional Medicine: Contributing to preventing HIV infection".
Mr. Appiah said there were herbal treatment for malaria and other diseases, which could be developed to save foreign exchange used to import drugs to treat such diseases in the country.
Mr. Appiah called on stakeholders in the health sector to chart a new course to help practitioners of traditional medicine to play a more central role in the health care delivery system.
The President of GHAFTRAM said plans were underway to acquire land to establish a Herbal Exchange Centre (HEC) to encourage its members with potent herbal preparations on some diseases for intensive research and recommendation.
Mr. Appiah appealed to the Government for the implementation of the Traditional Medicine Practice Act passed in 2000 to promote, control and regulate traditional medicine practice in the country.
Dr Sambo called on stakeholders including Government officials, civil society, partners and NGOs to strengthen their contribution to African Traditional Medicine to play its role in HIV prevention interventions.
Dr Samba called on the Government to include herbal products in the National Health Insurance drug list and gave the assurance that the WHO would provide the necessary technical assistance and some financial support towards the development of the drug list.
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