COVID-19: Traditional Medicine Practitioners Seek Partnership With WHO

A body of traditional medicine practitioners, the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), has declared its readiness to partner with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Oyo State government and orthodox medical practitioners to end the coronavirus pandemic.

The association made its intention known in three separately letters, dated April 1, 2020 and addressed to the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr Wondimagegnehu, the NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

The association, in the letters, copies of which were made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, said it would be mainstreaming traditional medicine, along with orthodox medicine, in the fight against the dreaded coronavirus.

The letters were jointly signed by the NANTMP chairman, Oyo State chapter, Adeyemi Dauda; Unit Head, Traditional African Medicine and Belief Systems, Institute of African Studie, University of Ibadan, Dr Obafemi Jegede; Professor Nelson Fashina of African Literature and Indigenous Studies, University of Ibadan and Reverend Olatunji James Alafe, among others.

“Considering the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, there exist prophylactic and management methods in traditional medicine that could be mainstreamed into existing intervention efforts. Given the scourge of COVID in Nigeria and particularly in Oyo State, NANTMP is prepared to work with the existing intervention efforts.

“We are therefore seeking an audience with your organisations and the Oyo State government in order to collectively chart out an effective complementary way out of this pandemic. We look forward to meeting with you,” the letters further read.

Speaking on the potency and ability of alternative medicine to fight the pandemic, Dr Jegede further told the Nigerian Tribune that the country has in abundance plant, herbs and leaves that can effectively eradicate the menace.

“We have here in abundance, especially in the South-West, plants, herbs and leaves which have been subjected to scientific and empirical research and are quite capable of effectively eradicating the menace of coronavirus in the country.

“Gone are those days when the African alternative medicine was an object of ridicule by western medicine that it is not scientific. A lot of researches have been conducted on these plants and leaves and they have proved to be more effective and cheaper to eliminate all forms of virus, bacteria and fungi from our society.

“Now that the reality of the COVID-19 is here with us and having seen the challenges posed by the inadequacy of the western medicine to tackle the danger of the virus, the onus rest on the various organisations and especially the Oyo State government to allow traditional medicine practitioners to collaborate with them to put an end to the scourge,” he said.