Health
WHO holds maiden traditional medicine summit
The World Health Organization opened its first summit on traditional medicine on Thursday, with the group saying it was seeking to collect evidence and data to allow for the safe use of such treatments.
Traditional medicines are a “first port of call for millions of people worldwide”, the UN health agency said, with the talks in India bringing together policymakers and academics aiming to “mobilise political commitment and evidence-based action” towards them.
“WHO is working to build the evidence and data to inform policies, standards and regulations for the safe, cost-effective and equitable use of traditional medicine”, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he opened the summit.
Traditional medicine could bridge healthcare “access gaps”, but was of value only if used “appropriately, effectively, and above all, safely based on the latest scientific evidence”, Tedros warned earlier.
But the global health body has come under fire from online critics who accused it of providing scientific validation to pseudoscience after it asked followers in a post if they had used a range of treatments, including homoeopathy and naturopathy.
The WHO later said in a post on the social media platform X that it had heard the “concerns” and agreed its “message could have been better articulated”.
The two-day WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit takes place alongside a meeting of G20 health ministers in the Indian city of Gandhinagar.
“We need to face a very important real-life fact that traditional medicines are very widely used,” Nobel laureate and chair of the WHO Science Council Harold Varmus told the summit via video link.
“It is important to understand what ingredients are actually in traditional medicines, why they work in some cases… and importantly, we need to understand and identify which traditional medicines don’t work”.
The summit, set to become a regular event, follows the opening last year of a WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, also in India’s Gujarat state.
Lack of regulatory oversight
While traditional medicines are widely used in some parts of the world, they also face fierce criticism.
The UN health agency defines traditional medicine as the knowledge, skills and practices used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness.
But many traditional treatments have no proven scientific value and conservationists say the industry drives a rampant trade in endangered animals — including tigers, rhinos and pangolins — threatening the existence of entire species.
Use of homemade remedies soared during the Covid-19 pandemic, including a green herbal drink based on Artemisia that was promoted by Madagascar’s president as a cure.
The plant has a proven efficacy in malaria treatment, but its use to combat Covid was widely scorned by many doctors.
In China, traditional medicine has a distinguished history, but top European medical bodies have previously demanded it be subject to the same regulatory oversight as conventional medical methods.
“Advancing science on traditional medicine should be held to the same rigorous standards as in other fields of health,” WHO research chief John Reeder said in a statement.
Of the WHO’s 194 member states, 170 acknowledged their use of traditional and complementary medicine since 2018, but only 124 reported having laws or regulations for the use of herbal medicines — while only half had a national policy on such methods and medicines.
“Natural doesn’t always mean safe, and centuries of use are not a guarantee of efficacy; therefore, scientific method and process must be applied to provide the rigorous evidence required,” the WHO said.
About 40 percent of approved pharmaceutical products currently in use derive from a “natural product basis”, according to the WHO, which cited “landmark drugs” that derive from traditional medicine, including aspirin, drawing on formulations using willow tree bark.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri following severe flooding that submerged the area and contaminated the drugs sold within the market.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, NAFDAC disclosed that the decision was made after reports surfaced that contaminated drugs, which had been washed and sun-dried for resale, were being sold at the market.
“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the @DGatNAFDAC ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the agency wrote.
The flooding, which ravaged Maiduguri, was triggered by the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the city.
The floodwaters claimed at least 30 lives and displaced 400,000 residents, leaving large parts of the city and surrounding areas in devastation.
NAFDAC’s intervention is aimed at safeguarding public health by preventing the sale and consumption of contaminated drugs.
The agency has mobilized teams to inspect the market and ensure the removal of all compromised pharmaceutical products.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State has expressed deep concern following the recent outbreak of cholera cases in the state.
Cholera, a highly contagious bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated water and food, poses significant health risks, particularly in densely populated areas with inadequate sanitation.
Oseni urged residents of Oyo State, especially those in his constituency, to prioritise hygiene practices and strictly adhere to recommended safety measures, emphasising the critical importance of proactive measures to halt the disease’s spread.
In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, the state capital, the lawmaker underscored the necessity of maintaining clean water sources and practicing proper sanitation methods.
“Cholera outbreaks can be significantly reduced if we all take responsibility for our hygiene habits and ensure our surroundings are clean,” he stated.
The APC chieftain also stressed the urgency of seeking prompt medical attention at the first signs of symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, which are characteristic of cholera.
“Early detection and treatment are crucial in combating cholera and preventing its spread. Access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are fundamental rights that must be upheld, especially during health crises like this,” he asserted.
Oseni further called for unity and collective action in combating the cholera outbreak.
He expressed confidence that through concerted efforts and vigilant adherence to preventive measures, communities can contain and ultimately overcome this challenging public health issue.
“By working together, maintaining vigilance, and prioritising hygiene practices, we can effectively mitigate the impact of cholera on our communities,” the lawmaker concluded.
Resident doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) in Ondo State have initiated a 14-day warning strike, as confirmed by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The strike action, led by the association’s President, John Matthew, highlights various grievances, notably the non-payment of seven months’ salaries to new members.
Matthew added that the strike also addresses the non-payment of palliative to House Officers since February, the failure to disburse the February Hazard Allowance despite prior assurances from the state government, and the ongoing shortage of staff due to resignations.
Matthew lamented the drastic decrease in resident doctors, citing a decrease from 150 doctors to a mere 26 in recent months.
In response to the situation, he urged management to prioritise the full payment of arrears owed to members, immediate payment of the February 2024 palliative to house officers, and prompt disbursement of the February hazard allowance.
The association further called for urgent measures to address the critical shortage of clinical manpower within the institution.
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