Nigerian universities set to commence Degree programe in herbal medicine
THE University of Ibadan, University of Medical
Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, and Samuel Adegboyega
University (SAU), Ogwa, Edo State have okayed
herbal medicine for their curricula. This is
following a deal with PaxHerbal Clinic and
Research Laboratories.
Its clinic Director, Rev. Anselm Adodo, broke the
news at a briefing in Ikeja, GRA, Lagos.
He said UNIMED would run a Bachelor’s Degree in
Herbal Medicine, SAU, a higher certificate
programme and UI, a Master’s and a Ph.D in
African Traditional Medicine at its Institute of
African Studies. Also, UI is running a course in
Herbal Medicine, through the Pharmacy
Department.
Rev Adodo said: “An expert committee, with
members drawn from key government research
and regulatory agencies, set up by the Standards
Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to draw up
standards for official identification of African
medicinal plants has also made progress in its
research findings.”
The Institute of African Studies will also offer a
professional certificate programme in Herbal
Medicine.
“This programme aims to empower traditional
healers to professionalise their practice. It is also
open to pharmacists and medical practitioners
who need a working knowledge of Herbal
Medicine with the attendant certification from a
credible institution,” Rev Adodo explained.
According to him, the undergraduate courses will
be fulltime, while the certificate courses can be
obtained part time.
Besides, Rev Adodo said the Federal Institute of
Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) has signed a
Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) with
PaxHerbals to research the use of plants as
foods and medicine.
“We have also signed an MoU with PaxHerbals
and its subsidiary, the Pax Integral Research and
Development Initiative (OFIRDI), and Lagos State
Coconut Development Agency (LASCODA) on
research into coconut-based products,” Adodo
said.
The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR),
whics on
research and development of Traditional Herbal
Medicine, has established a Centre for Herbal
Medicine, Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Research, while the Nigeria Natural Medicine
Development Agency (NNMDA), and the Pax Herbal
Clinic and Research Laboratories have prepared a
protocol for a clinical trial of the Pax herbal
malarial medicine called Malatreat, which is
awaiting ethical clearance from health regulators.
“I, as Director of Paxherbals, have always been
actively involved, either as a member of a
curriculum advisory committee, curriculum review
committee or a research committee. My
participation brought awareness to several areas
of neglect, especially the dearth of literature on
herbal medicine from Nigeria and documentation
of Nigerian plants and flora for students and
researchers. This has compelled Nigerian
researchers to depend excessively on foreign
publications to help them in their local research,
which is practically difficult and not easy to
compare. As a contribution towards solving this
problem, I decided to publish a research book
titled: “Medicinal Plants of Nigeria: An
Ethnobotanical survey and Plant Album’, to l survey and Plant Album’, to be
released in July, this year,” Rev Adodo said.
He explained that the book aims to serve as a
workbook for students, teachers and practitioners
in the field of ethnobotany and ethnomedicine. It
documents the plants that are traditionally used by
the local population, the history of local use, and
the traditional beliefs around the use in Nigeria. At
a time when so much attention is being given to
phytochemica l screening of plants.
He added: “There is a temptation to overlook the
philosophy of ethnomedicine and cultural use of
plants, thereby losing the link between plants and
the community.
‘’This research adopts a community-oriented
approach to African herbal medicine research and
argues for a return to a community-based
approach to medicine, wherein the health of the
individual is closely aligned with that of the
community. Community in this context includes
plants, animals and the environment.”
One of the major weaknesses of Traditional
Medicine, according to Rev Adodo, is that it has
not yet moved from the realm of the subjective to
that of objective as well as from implicit to
explicit knowledge. It is crucial that traditional
medicine evolves from implicit to explicit
knowledge, from knowledge embodied in
individual local healers to a community of
knowledge that is available to all, he added.
He said in Africa, it is difficult to separate the
practice of herbal medicine from the herbal
practitioner. “In conventional medicine, it is
different; if a patient dies after a series of
treatment and medication, people rarely blame or
condemn the practice of medicine as a discipline,
or declare it completely ineffective. Instead, it just
means that a particular case was simply
impossible, or not successful. If a medical doctor
makes mistakes or acts contrary to the principle
of ‘do no harm,’ or is noticed to have been
negligent, he or she is penalised by the relevant
authorities.
“However, such individual mistakes and
inefficiencies do not always mean that the
discipline of medicine is bad, and the people
understand. On the contrary, people often fail to
make this distinction when it comes to traditional
medicine, they often judge and condemn the
practice of herbal medicine itself when an
individual practitioner defaults or is negligent.
This is partly due to lack of firm control and
regulatory system as well, that ensures disciple
and effectiveness. On the other hand, lack of
documentation, illiteracy and little emphasis on
knowledge sharing and research, has significantly
retarded traditional medicine as a field of
discipline.”
Rev Adodo assured that Paxherbals will continue
to work with the government and Non-
Governmental Organisaions (NGOs)for the
development of African herbal Medicine.
Source:The nation
Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, and Samuel Adegboyega
University (SAU), Ogwa, Edo State have okayed
herbal medicine for their curricula. This is
following a deal with PaxHerbal Clinic and
Research Laboratories.
Its clinic Director, Rev. Anselm Adodo, broke the
news at a briefing in Ikeja, GRA, Lagos.
He said UNIMED would run a Bachelor’s Degree in
Herbal Medicine, SAU, a higher certificate
programme and UI, a Master’s and a Ph.D in
African Traditional Medicine at its Institute of
African Studies. Also, UI is running a course in
Herbal Medicine, through the Pharmacy
Department.
Rev Adodo said: “An expert committee, with
members drawn from key government research
and regulatory agencies, set up by the Standards
Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to draw up
standards for official identification of African
medicinal plants has also made progress in its
research findings.”
The Institute of African Studies will also offer a
professional certificate programme in Herbal
Medicine.
“This programme aims to empower traditional
healers to professionalise their practice. It is also
open to pharmacists and medical practitioners
who need a working knowledge of Herbal
Medicine with the attendant certification from a
credible institution,” Rev Adodo explained.
According to him, the undergraduate courses will
be fulltime, while the certificate courses can be
obtained part time.
Besides, Rev Adodo said the Federal Institute of
Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) has signed a
Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) with
PaxHerbals to research the use of plants as
foods and medicine.
“We have also signed an MoU with PaxHerbals
and its subsidiary, the Pax Integral Research and
Development Initiative (OFIRDI), and Lagos State
Coconut Development Agency (LASCODA) on
research into coconut-based products,” Adodo
said.
The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR),
whics on
research and development of Traditional Herbal
Medicine, has established a Centre for Herbal
Medicine, Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Research, while the Nigeria Natural Medicine
Development Agency (NNMDA), and the Pax Herbal
Clinic and Research Laboratories have prepared a
protocol for a clinical trial of the Pax herbal
malarial medicine called Malatreat, which is
awaiting ethical clearance from health regulators.
“I, as Director of Paxherbals, have always been
actively involved, either as a member of a
curriculum advisory committee, curriculum review
committee or a research committee. My
participation brought awareness to several areas
of neglect, especially the dearth of literature on
herbal medicine from Nigeria and documentation
of Nigerian plants and flora for students and
researchers. This has compelled Nigerian
researchers to depend excessively on foreign
publications to help them in their local research,
which is practically difficult and not easy to
compare. As a contribution towards solving this
problem, I decided to publish a research book
titled: “Medicinal Plants of Nigeria: An
Ethnobotanical survey and Plant Album’, to l survey and Plant Album’, to be
released in July, this year,” Rev Adodo said.
He explained that the book aims to serve as a
workbook for students, teachers and practitioners
in the field of ethnobotany and ethnomedicine. It
documents the plants that are traditionally used by
the local population, the history of local use, and
the traditional beliefs around the use in Nigeria. At
a time when so much attention is being given to
phytochemica l screening of plants.
He added: “There is a temptation to overlook the
philosophy of ethnomedicine and cultural use of
plants, thereby losing the link between plants and
the community.
‘’This research adopts a community-oriented
approach to African herbal medicine research and
argues for a return to a community-based
approach to medicine, wherein the health of the
individual is closely aligned with that of the
community. Community in this context includes
plants, animals and the environment.”
One of the major weaknesses of Traditional
Medicine, according to Rev Adodo, is that it has
not yet moved from the realm of the subjective to
that of objective as well as from implicit to
explicit knowledge. It is crucial that traditional
medicine evolves from implicit to explicit
knowledge, from knowledge embodied in
individual local healers to a community of
knowledge that is available to all, he added.
He said in Africa, it is difficult to separate the
practice of herbal medicine from the herbal
practitioner. “In conventional medicine, it is
different; if a patient dies after a series of
treatment and medication, people rarely blame or
condemn the practice of medicine as a discipline,
or declare it completely ineffective. Instead, it just
means that a particular case was simply
impossible, or not successful. If a medical doctor
makes mistakes or acts contrary to the principle
of ‘do no harm,’ or is noticed to have been
negligent, he or she is penalised by the relevant
authorities.
“However, such individual mistakes and
inefficiencies do not always mean that the
discipline of medicine is bad, and the people
understand. On the contrary, people often fail to
make this distinction when it comes to traditional
medicine, they often judge and condemn the
practice of herbal medicine itself when an
individual practitioner defaults or is negligent.
This is partly due to lack of firm control and
regulatory system as well, that ensures disciple
and effectiveness. On the other hand, lack of
documentation, illiteracy and little emphasis on
knowledge sharing and research, has significantly
retarded traditional medicine as a field of
discipline.”
Rev Adodo assured that Paxherbals will continue
to work with the government and Non-
Governmental Organisaions (NGOs)for the
development of African herbal Medicine.
Source:The nation
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