Professor of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM, Ikeja), Mr. Adejuwon Adeneye, has called on all levels of government and relevant institutions to pay more attention to the practice of traditional medicine in the country. He asked for the following: The informal subsector has great potential to bring meaningful progress to Nigeria’s health care delivery system and the economy as a whole.
He said whether Nigeria will be able to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 of ensuring “good health and well-being” by 2030 will depend on how active complementary and alternative medicine practices (CAM) are in the country. He said a lot depends on what happens.
He said traditional medicine, which uses medicinal plants and roots to treat various diseases and ailments, plays a huge role not only in Nigeria but throughout the developing world, but is not given its due recognition. , said there is a record of 60 to 85 percent of Nigerians being treated. The population of each country is dependent on one form or another of CAM.
Adeneye, a former acting dean of LASU’s Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, shared this thought and perspective while delivering the 41-year-old LASU’s 100th inaugural lecture series at the main campus in Ojo on Tuesday.
He spoke on “Green Medicine: A Natural Doorway to Sustainable Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria”.
The don declared that alternative medicine is not only affordable and accessible to many people. Widespread acceptance in developing countries, including Nigeria, is based on ancestral wisdom and practices, socio-cultural and religious beliefs that have been passed down through generations.
“Therefore, in order to achieve universal health coverage and equitable access to health services for all, both in easy-to-reach and hard-to-reach areas, governments and other stakeholders in the health sector must But we must be able to utilize all available resources in this direction,” he added, “A healthy people is a healthy population.”
Mr. Adeneye also charged that there is no reason for Nigeria to be poor in the face of abundant human and material resources, adding that the country could achieve greatness through green medicine, health and other economic sectors. We have highlighted several paths forward.
According to him, there is an urgent need to fully integrate CAM into the country’s current healthcare delivery system, and this is part of ongoing reforms in the sector.
While he acknowledged the challenges that such measures could pose, he noted that the benefits are significant and worthwhile as far as large populations are concerned.
He is advocating for strong laws to protect the environment and wildlife conservation, while also protecting collections of medicinal plants that are already endangered in Nigeria’s forests and ensuring large-scale, sustainable This is why it is important to promote local cultivation on a large scale.
Prof. Adeneye also noted that the National Universities Commission (NNUC), a federal government regulatory body, is making progress in this regard by strengthening the curriculum of medical programs and including the study of alternative medicine as part of the courses offered by medical institutions. He said that he played a major role. students.
He explained that this initiative is viable and the time is right as new curriculum systems are being considered for medical and other undergraduate degree programs in the country.
He said such courses will train and sensitize young medical graduates in Nigeria at both graduate, postgraduate and professional levels on the integration of CAM as practiced in relatively developed countries such as Germany, India and China. He pointed out that it helps to enhance and expand the frontiers of knowledge. , Thailand, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil.
He said such programs would provide scope for robust research into several ethnic medical practices, bridge the huge gap in medical needs of Nigerians, and address the “Japa syndrome” among young Nigerian doctors. He said he was strongly convinced that the brain drain (brain drain) would also be reduced.
He therefore called on the leadership of LASU to accept this recommendation and lead the establishment and functioning of the Traditional Medicine/CAM Research Center as the foremost university in Nigeria.
He said the university has the capacity to carry out its mandate and defend this course in the interest of the country.
Mr. Adeneye, however, thanked Almighty God, the university administration and all individuals and organizations that contributed in one way or another to his academic and life achievements, and pledged to further his efforts in sharing knowledge and contributing to humanity. .
In his address, LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiemi Olatunji Bello, extolled the virtues of the inaugural lecturer, saying his contribution to the medical field was immeasurable.
While congratulating him on his insightful talk, she added that his talk brought a positive side to alternative medicine.
Dignitaries at the event include Professor Abisogang Lee, former Vice-Chancellor of LASU; Professor Abba Omotunde Sagoe, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government; Former VC, Bishop Ajayi Crowther, Oyo University, Professor Dapo Asaju. Wife of the first lecturer, Mrs. Funmilola Adeneye. etc.
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