Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state governor has reiterated his administration’s recommitment to the standardization of the traditional, complementary and alternative medicine practice in Lagos, as the government launches the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB) code of conduct for practitioners.
This was stated at the celebration of the year 2022 African traditional medicine day held on Thursday 1 September, at the Adeyemi Bero auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, with the theme, ‘Two Decades of African Traditional Medicine Day: Process Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Africa’.
According to the governor, over 80 percent of Lagosians use a form of traditional or alternative medicine to stay well; hence it is imperative for the government to understand what it is that the practitioners are utilizing for their treatment.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Akin Abayomi, the Lagos state commissioner for health, said that the primary role of the government is to ensure standardization across every sector of the healthcare value chain in Lagos.
He disclosed that Lagos currently have 10, 000 registered traditional medicine practitioners, and another 5, 000 registered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners.
According to him, TCAM practitioners are integra part of the communities they serve; therefore, it is imperative for the government to find a way for all stakeholders to practice together homonously towards delivering better outcome for the citizens.
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Adebukunola Ositelu, chairman, LSTMB, in a lecture titled, ‘The need for collaboration between traditional, complementary and alternative medicine and the conventional practice in the health care delivery sector in Lagos state: A call for action’ said traditional medicine existed long before civilization, hence the need for collaboration between all practitioners.
Ositelu, who referred to traditional medicine as indegenous, said there has to be a clear-cut acceptable code of practice among both fields of practice.
She states further that the ultimate goal should be to deepen wellness among the citizen, and disclosed that Lagos state will face-out hawking of traditional medicine popularly referred to as herbal mixture (concoction) in three months.
“A sick nation is a sinking and unproductive nation. Health sector of any nation, when rightly organised, can dictate the economic strength, viability, capability and growth of that nation,” Ositelu said.
Kadiri Akeem Babalola, from the department of Botany, University of Lagos, said that public health professionals do not have a voice yet on integration of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) in the national health system in Africa.
Speaking on ‘ Trends & Challenges in Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Africa: A need for a change in the perception of aTCAM in Nigeria – Lagos State as a case study’. Babalola said that there is a need to change the general perception of TCAM across Africa, Nigeria in particular, because of its value in healthcare delivery.
