By Joseph Nana Yaw Cobbina
Some unscrupulous individuals are attempting to hamper the efforts of the government to promote the herbal medicine industry in order to encourage herbal medicine practice and the use of herbal preparations in Ghana.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the CEO of Local Man Herbal Centre, Dr Emmanuel Ananse, said the use of agrochemicals on farms has caused the adversely affected the quality of the raw materials used for producing herbal medicine.
According to him, the government of Ghana is doing everything within his powers to ensure that Ghanaians produce their own medicines but the tendency where forest guards maltreat herbalists in the forest is counter=productive. Thus hampering productivity of the traditional medicine into the local market.
Dr Ananse said most raw materials on the market are of low quality and sometimes do not get the right raw materials on the market.
He then appeals to government to allow registered Herbal Producers to enter the forest for their raw materials to ensure quality product.
The challenge confronting the traditional medicine are due to slow pace of laboratory approval from the Mampong research centre.
He was worried about the way and manner some staffs demand for ransom before approving the medicine and failure to do so it would never be approved.
The testing of traditional herbal medicine has been a challenge over the years and even during the pandemic of Covid-19 vaccines where described and local producers where also ask to present their medicine and in the end round those who could pay had their way through and those who couldn’t afford, if today their medicine would be certified.
