The celebration of Nigeria 50th anniversary is the time for reflection, when stock should be taken to know what has been properly done and those crying for attention. This country is blessed with all forms of therapeutic (Healing) system namely Orthodox or Western and Traditional or Herbal. The efforts of the government to provide health for all have only been noticeable in the provision and promotion of western or orthodox medicine at the expense of alternative medicine. Provision of the state of the art hospitals modern equipment and latest drugs. Though, this effort has yielded results by reducing mortality rate but there are many limiting factors that are still standing between this objective and the people. The economic implication of providing this form of healing is a burden on the government in an environment where corruption is reigning. The doctors are inexperience in the use of this borrowed equipment and the government is not willing to send them on outside training. The welfare problem of health workers has become the muster that refuse to go as seen in strike of Doctor in Abuja, Ekiti, Lagos and Ogun. The menace of fake and adulterated drugs is not helping the matter. No wonder those in the government have no confident in the system. They prefer to travel to the western world for western medical attention, a case of “ko si eni to le pon bi olomo” meaning “no one can do it better than the owner”. Traditional or Herbal medicine that is our own has been relegated to the back burner for parochial reasons. Economy of the countries like China and India are benefiting from the development of their traditional medicine today. Traditional medicine is defined by world Health Organization (WHO) as “the total combination of knowledge and practice whether explicable or not used in diagnosis, preventing or eliminating a physical, mental or social disease and which may rely exclusively on past experience and observation handed down from generation to generation, verbally or written depending on the religion, socio-cultural, belief and practices of the people”. The practice of herbal medicine dates back to the very earliest periods of known human history. There is evidence of herbs having been used in the treatment of diseases and revitalizing body systems in almost all ancient civilization, such as the Indian, the Egyptian, the Chinese and even the Greeks and Roman civilizations. How come the Indians and Chinese are converting this God giving resource for economic development and Nigeria at fifty (50) is looking at it as crude or primitive. The school of thought that the practice of traditional medicine is non-scientific and absurd should not be allowed to hold because if government devote money into the of this area the result may be amazing. Man’s need to find measures to combat sickness has always been as important to his survival as his need for food and shelter. The successes of science frequently have their roots in the absurdities of magic, some of our important drugs were discovered through primitive man’s experiments with the plants that grew around him. The use of alcohol and opium to ease pain, cinchona bark (the source of quinine) to treat malaria and ipecac for amoebic dysentery can be cited as examples of early man’s therapeutic successes despite his ignorance of the causes of these ailments. Some of his failure can also be called valuable discoveries since drugs like curare, Vera trine and ouabain known only as fatal poisons by primitive cultures in various regions of the world have become valuable therapeutic agents when used in proper amount. Aspirin that reduces pain and inflammation is derived from a plant similax sp. As a result of WHO’s promotion of traditional medicine, countries have been seeking the assistance of the WHO in identifying safe and effective herbal medicine for use in national health care system. Herbs are used in many different ways. However, the ultimate objective of their use is that they should interact directly with our body chemistry. They may be use in various forms like food, medicine, cosmetics or fragrance but in all cases their active constituents must be absorbed in the body for deriving the require benefits. Another area of traditional medicine that is calling for attention is the work of the Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA). TBA are usually old and experienced people who see their skill for the good of the community. With experienced TBA child delivery by caesarean section is not common since it is hardly necessary to seek surgical help during child birth. If there is a difficult labour, the TBA will message and press on the abdomen and work on the fetus. It may be necessary to wash the womb or the valve a few days before delivery using some plant preparations now known to have muscle relaxant properties. It is imperative that these TBA should not be neglected in the integrated, maternal, newborn and child health strategy to attain the MDG. In conclusion, the government at various levels should be mindful of the anniversary budget and rather think of how the herbal medicine which is our own could be developed. Increased local support for Research and Development of herbal medicine is needed. People like Professor Olukemi Abiodun Odukoya will be useful to unravel the magic behind the nature. The political will of Government to develop traditional medicine and medicinal plant is paramount. Despite its existence over many countries, herbal medicines have not been officially integrated/recognized in primary health care. The government or houses of Assembly should as a matter of urgency sign into law, the regulation and recognition of the practice and use of these medicines. There is need for information sharing, training and retraining as is the case with the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board. Traditional Medicine departments should be set up in all our hospitals. Thanks. ADEKOYA ABIMBOLA Bsc (Hons) Ife, AMLCN, MBA, Msc (Lagos), PGD(Med.USS) JUTH Medical Scientist
