Kwara Herbal Practitioners Unite, Seek Government Support

Herbal medicine practitioners in Kwara State have united under one umbrella body, with a call on the state government to support the development, regulation and professionalisation of traditional medicine practice in the state.

The practitioners, drawn from various traditional and alternative medicine associations across the 16 local government areas of the state, said the unity would enable them to speak with one voice and contribute more effectively to healthcare delivery and the development of the sector.

The General Secretary of the Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Kwara State, Dr Hassan Adebayo, disclosed this at a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Offa Road, Ilorin.

Adebayo said the association, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as the Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Kwara State, with registration number CAC/IT/NO131768, currently has more than 45 registered associations as members across the state.

He described the development as the culmination of years of efforts to bring traditional and alternative medicine practitioners together under a common platform.

According to him, the unified body would enable practitioners to address issues concerning their welfare, regulation and professional development while also promoting responsible practice.

Adebayo appealed to the state government to collaborate with the association in establishing structures that would strengthen traditional medicine practice and enhance government revenue.

He specifically called for the establishment of a Traditional Medicine Department within the Ministry of Health and the creation of a Kwara State Traditional Medicine Board to provide effective regulation and coordination of practitioners.

The association also appealed to the government to provide land for the establishment of a botanical garden where medicinal plants could be cultivated.

It further requested the establishment of a traditional medicine laboratory unit by the Ministry of Health to assess herbal products and determine their toxicity levels.

The practitioners also called for annual budgetary provisions for the proposed traditional medicine board at both state and local government levels, as well as government assistance in securing land for a befitting secretariat.

Adebayo said the association was also working towards strengthening efforts to eliminate adulterated and fake medicinal products through the establishment of a task force in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and relevant law enforcement agencies.

He urged traditional medicine practitioners operating across the state to identify with the association and comply with relevant regulations.

He also appealed to medicine hawkers, promoters and individuals advertising traditional medicine products on radio and television to register with the association and operate within the required regulatory framework.

Adebayo added that practitioners and medicine promoters coming from outside Kwara State to sell or promote medicinal products would also be expected to register with the association and comply with applicable regulations.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Kwara State Herbal Assemblies, Dr Adedayo Ikudaisi, said the Ministry of Health remained the regulator and coordinator of alternative medicine practitioners in the state through its relevant department and Herbal Unit.

Ikudaisi said the efforts of the ministry and practitioners had contributed to the emergence of the Kwara Herbal Assembly, which, according to him, had recorded several achievements.

He recalled that the state government provided a conducive working environment for practitioners and inaugurated a working committee in 2017 under the supervision of the Commissioner for Health.

He said the assembly had organised herbal trade fairs across Kwara and the South-West geopolitical zone since 2017, while practitioners had benefited from training and other engagements through the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Ilorin.

Ikudaisi said unity among practitioners had improved considerably, adding that state and local government executives had been established through a democratic process.

He noted that the registration of practitioners had contributed to the internally generated revenue of the state, while practitioners had also been captured in the database of the Ministry of Health.

According to him, the assembly had embarked on sensitisation and mobilisation programmes to encourage practitioners to improve the packaging and presentation of herbal products, including converting products into capsules and tablets where appropriate.

He said some herbal clinics in Ilorin had also improved their facilities, with provisions such as waiting rooms, consulting rooms, reception areas and stores for raw materials.

The Chairman of All Joint Herbal in Kwara State, Hon. Muhammed Jamiu Bolanta, commended members for their large turnout at the event.

Jamiu urged members to sustain the spirit of unity and continue to speak with one voice on issues affecting the development of traditional medicine practice.

He also called for greater recognition of traditional medicine practitioners by the government and the public, stressing the need for their contributions to healthcare delivery to receive appropriate attention.

In his remarks, the Oba Isegun of Kwara State, Alhaji Muhammed Nuhu Gambari, commended the practitioners for their efforts towards achieving unity.

He urged members to sustain unity and understanding and remain good ambassadors of the association.

The Women Leader of the association, Alhaja Kudirat Omialaju, expressed happiness over the development and advised members to practise in accordance with the law.

She urged them to shun activities capable of tarnishing the image of the association and the traditional medicine profession.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Awogbemi, urged members to be honest and practise with sincerity, commitment and responsibility.

The Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Dr Babatunde Jimoh, appreciated members for their attendance and support, describing the coming together of practitioners under one umbrella as a new chapter for the association.

He expressed optimism that the unity would contribute to the growth and development of traditional medicine practice in Kwara State.