Traditional medicine in Dr Rabi Thobelithongo’s rooms in Bellville. Thobelithongo is a herbal healer, sangoma and inyanga. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/ African News Agency (ANA) Archives
TO MARK African Traditional Medicine Day on Tuesday, local scientists who are researching traditional medicine therapies as part of the Covid-19 response, say more investment is needed in the development of herbal medicines.
Given that African traditional medicine is centuries old and its use remains significant across Africa, so far it has played a minor role in the fight against Covid-19.
According to Professor Nceba Gqaleni, who is a member of the Presidential Task Team on African Traditional Medicine, conducting clinical trials is an expensive undertaking out of the financial reach of most traditional healers.
“We need support from the likes of the Solidarity fund. The Department of Science and Innovation is doing its best with limited resources. We are conducting research on prevention (blocking the binding of the virus to ACE-2 receptors), antiviral (killing the virus), immunomodulation (severe disease) and anticoagulation. However, there is no proven traditional medicine yet,” he said.
Gqaleni said that the economic value of traditional medicine is at about R20 billion per annum and growing. With the legalisation of cannabis, an extra value of R28 billion would be added.
In her message in celebration of African Traditional Medicine Day, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said for generations, the vast majority of people across the continent have relied on traditional medicine as the main source of therapy for their health-care needs, as it is trusted, acceptable, affordable and accessible.
“Now as part of the Covid-19 response, promising traditional medicine therapies are emerging. In Cameroon for example, the Ministry of Health has approved two products as complementary therapies for Covid-19.
“Madagascar’s herbal remedy, COVID-Organics Plus Curative, is in phase III trials and encouraging preliminary results have been reported. We look forward to the final results of this trial, and of trials under way for different products in 12 other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa,” Moeti said.
Earlier this year a team of scientists from Germany and the US explored the effectiveness of traditional plant medicines in treating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-CoV-2) infection.
Their findings reveal that various extracts of two medicinal plants, namely Artemisia annua and Artemisia afra (umhlonyane), can potentially inhibit Sars-CoV-2 replication in vitro without causing any cytotoxicity.
rudolph.nkgadima@africannewsagency.com
Related Topics:
