Centre for Plant Medicine Research in Ghana is working on a number of herbal preparations
THE CENTRE for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR) at Mampong Akuapem in the eastern region of Ghana is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in research to find a herbal cure for the coronavirus (Covid-19), Daily Graphic reported.
According to the newspaper, the executive director of the CPMR, Dr Kofi Bobi Barimah, said his organisation was working on a number of herbal preparations it had received from the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations (GHAFTRAM), some of which had already been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
In an interview with the publication, he said after undertaking thorough research on the herbal preparations, the centre would forward those that received approval to the ministry for trials in accordance with safety protocols.
“If management of Covid-19 with a Ghanaian herbal product should prove successful and effective, not only would it bring the much-needed relief to the fight against the pandemic, but it would also earn the nation international recognition and eventually help it accrue huge foreign exchange earnings,” said Barimah.
Barimah, who has authored a book titled “Traditional Medicine in Ghana”, said there was sufficient literature to teach people about the potency of herbal medicine.
But he cautioned the public against using the locally brewed gin “akpeteshie” as a hand sanitiser since that had not been tested. He said the centre was in the process of producing an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that would be sold in the open market, said Daily Graphic.
“It is important, all the same, to note that the best option for hand hygiene is thorough washing of hands with soap under running water,” he said.
Barimah appealed to the government, corporate organisations and benevolent institutions and individuals to assist the centre with resources, including money, to enable it to enhance its research capabilities and find a cure for Covid-19.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has recorded 1 671 cases of the virus in the country, with 188 recoveries and 16 deaths.
– African News Agency (ANA)
