A case for traditional medicines

Studies have indicated that a variety of herbal medicines and their applications are commonly used across Africa. Many of these are for the treatment of conditions such as malaria fever, typhoid fever, allergies, asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, menopausal symptoms, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, and cancer, among many others.

With the cost of essential commodities and orthodox medicines continuing to go upwards unabated amid a troubled economy, more and more Nigerians are turning to traditional medicines that are cheaper and more easily accessible.

When people get sick, they naturally want the best medications possible. If the cost of the best medications is beyond their means, they seek out affordable alternatives and this is where traditional and herbal medicines come in.

Traditional and herbal medicines have a broad range of characteristics and elements that earn them a working definition from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Traditional medicines are diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs that incorporate plant, animal and/or mineral based treatments, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, which are applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness. On the other hand, herbal medicines, also called botanical medicines or phytomedicines, refer to herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations, and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plant materials as active ingredients.

In developed nations, traditional medicine has been adapted outside its indigenous culture and labelled as ‘complementary’ or ‘alternative’ medicine.

However, these mixtures are popular among Nigerians, but many appear to be ignorant of the potential toxicities. As such, it may be necessary to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and quality of herbal medicines and their products through randomised clinical trial studies.

Public enlightenment programs about the safe use of herbal medicines may be necessary as a means of minimising the potential adverse effects.

Globally, people developed unique indigenous healing traditions adapted and defined by their cultures, beliefs, and environments, which satisfied the health needs of their communities over centuries.

The increasing widespread use of traditional medicines has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to promote the integration of traditional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine into the national health care systems of some nations and to encourage the development of national policy and regulations as essential indicators of the level of integration of such medicines within a national health care system.

In folklore medicine in Nigeria, Rauwolfia vomitoria (Afzel) is used for treating hypertension, stroke, insomnia, and convulsion, and Ocimum gratissimum L. is used for treating diarrhoeal diseases. The seeds of citrus paradisi Macfad are effective in treating urinary tract infections that are resistant to the conventional antibiotics; pure honey heals infected wounds; dried seeds of pawpaw are effective in the treatment of intestinal parasitosis; the analgesic and inflammatory effects of Garcinia kola Heckel are known to enhance its use for osteoarthritis treatment; and Aloe vera Mill gel is as effective as benzyl benzoate in the treatment of scabies.

Similarly, in South Africa, plant extracts with muscle relaxant properties are used by traditional birth attendants to assist in child deliveries.

Over 80 percent of the populations in some Asian and African nations depend on traditional medicine for primary health care. The WHO estimates that in many developed countries, 70 percent to 80 percent of the population has used some form of alternative or complementary medicine, including Ayurvedic, homoeopathic, naturopathic, traditional Oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. It is also recognised by the WHO, and those herbal medicines are the most popular form of traditional medicine and are highly lucrative in the international medicine market.

Annual revenues in Western Europe were estimated at $5 billion in 2003-2004, in China the revenue was estimated at $14 billion in 2005, and in Brazil it was $160 million in 2007.

Although there is limited scientific evidence from studies done to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of many traditional medicine products and practices, national policies and regulations are also lacking for traditional medicine in many nations.

The challenges in many cases are those unstated or indeterminate dosages, toxicities, and side effects.

The onus then lies with the regulators and other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and pharmaceutical research institutes, to roll up their sleeves and work towards further understanding, categorisation, measurement, and control of traditional and herbal medicines for the well-being of Nigerians.