Accra: A toxicologist has called on the government and stakeholders to provide adequate funding for plant medicine research to harness the potential economic and health benefits of the industry. Delivering her inaugural address at the University of Ghana, Professor Regina Appiah-Oppong highlighted the effectiveness of some indigenous herbal medicines and emphasized the need for further study on existing plants, which would require funding from multiple reliable sources.
According to Ghana News Agency, Professor Appiah-Oppong spoke on the topic, 'The Potential Role of Medicinal Plants in Ghana's Healthcare System and Economy,' recommending the cultivation of medicinal plants that are becoming extinct. She stressed the importance of policies to replace harvested plants and called for collective efforts in this direction. As the former Head of Clinical Pathology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, she noted that approximately 80 percent of rural dwellers in Ghana rely on plant medicine due to factors like cultural beliefs, effectiveness, affordability, and accessibility.
Despite the reliance on herbal solutions, Professor Appiah-Oppong advised that plant or herbal prescriptions should be tested for their potentials before being combined with orthodox medicines to avoid harmful drug interactions. She highlighted the significant role of plant medicine in the healthcare system, citing examples like moringa, pawpaw, and 'dawadawa,' which have been found to contain essential properties.
The professor identified several challenges in integrating herbal medicine into the country's primary healthcare system, including lack of standardization, regulatory hurdles, safety concerns, and insufficient funding. She pointed out that the global market for medicinal plants is projected to reach $437 billion by 2032 and suggested that Africa's plant medicine industry could compete on a global scale. She noted that Europe led the market in 2024 with a 44 percent share, followed by the United States, and observed that Ghana has yet to significantly benefit from the industry's boom.
Expressing concern over the reluctance of some Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) to subject their products to rigorous approval processes, Professor Appiah-Oppong emphasized the need for research to establish safe and efficacious plant medicines. She urged TMPs to ensure their products are properly evaluated and integrated into the healthcare system. She also highlighted the issue of many herbal products being inappropriately classified as foods or dietary supplements, allowing them to bypass critical regulation, and called for continuous training for TMPs.
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, commended Professor Appiah-Oppong for her work and emphasized the importance of tapping into the opportunities presented by the plant medicine industry. She remarked that plant medicine is not just a home remedy but also a research discipline, a commercial opportunity, a regulatory challenge, and a potential national treasure. Professor Amfo reiterated the University's support for related research endeavors, underscoring the potential for plant medicine to boost the economy while contributing to national health.
