From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The West African Health Organization (WAHO) has launched the official publication of the second volume of the West African Herbal Pharmacopeia in Abuja yesterday.
Its Director-general Stanley Okolo explained that it would assist in the assessment of bottlenecks threatening institutionalisation of traditional medicine in Africa.
Okolo stressed that the organization would carry out a critical review of the programmes implemented in the countries during the two decades (2001- 2020) dedicated to traditional medicine, for accelerating its institutionalisation into national health systems,
He said” Due to the disparities in the reality of traditional medicine practice from one country to another, it is necessary to recognise the persistence of weaknesses in the achievement of the set objectives.
” It is necessary to examine, at the end of these two decades, the reasons for the obstacles encountered in the implementation of the programmes to take advantage of the potential contribution of traditional medicine to health, well-being and person-centred care and to promote the safe and effective utilisation of traditional medicine through regulation, research and integration of traditional medical knowledge into national health systems.
He further added that the traditional medicine has never been called upon to validate local therapeutic solutions in the response to epidemic the it was , during covid-19 pandemic.
Chairperson of the ceremony,Dr Yirinkyi in her welcome remarks earlier stated that the program was put together to take stock of the stewardship members of the organization in the past twenty (20) years.
She said” we are gathered here to reflect on our achievements, difficulties we have encountered the past two decades and choose a better path for the future.”
