Let’s rely on herbal medicine - K.B. Asante
AN elder statesman, Mr K. B. Asante, has called on African countries to rely more on herbal medicine in their health delivery efforts.
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This, he said, was because there was a plant for every ailment that had been used since time immemorial.
Mr Asante was speaking during the launch of a book on the importance of plants and their usage, which tries to clear the misconception about herbal medicine.
The book, ‘Traditional and Religious Plants of West Africa,’ was authored by a retired researcher, Mr Daniel Kwesi Abbiw, who has researched into herbal medicine for the past 30 years.
Mr Asante said in the past, herbal medicine was held in high esteem, but following the introduction of orthodox medicine, it had been relegated to the background.
“There is a plant for every ailment, but Ghanaians are now relying on nice packaged medicine to the detriment of natural herbs,” he regretted.
The author, Mr Abbiw, said the book was on plant uses based on beliefs, symbols, signs and traditional values of herbal medicine.
Also present at the launch was Professor Matilda Steiner Asiedu, Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, University of Ghana.
