Herbal medicine experts have called for the establishment of a single national standard for herbal medicines and a review of the implementation of Ghana’s Essential Herbal Medicines List, warning that inconsistencies in regulation and procurement are hindering the growth of the industry. The calls were made at the climax of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). General Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations, Okogye Abibiduro Nana Kwadwo Kobiri, appealed to the government to develop a single national standard for herbal medicines to guide manufacturers and regulators.
He argued that the Ghana Standards Authority should establish uniform standards that would be adopted by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Traditional Medicine Practice Council and industry players to eliminate inconsistencies in regulatory processes. “It is time the Ghana Standards Authority comes out with a standard procedure for herbal medicines so that the FDA, the Traditional Medicine Practice Council and industry all work with the same standard. The changing policies are creating confusion for industry,” he asserted.
Nana Kobiri also expressed concern over the implementation of Ghana’s Essential Herbal Medicines List, saying many public health facilities procure herbal medicines almost exclusively from the Centre for Plant Medicine Research despite the existence of a broader list approved by the Ministry of Health. He argued that relying heavily on products from a single institution limits the growth of other herbal medicine manufacturers and practitioners. “Mampong has only a few products on the list.
If hospitals purchase only those products, it does not represent the entire traditional medicine sector. The Centre is supposed to conduct research for the industry, not compete with it,” he said. Speaking at the event, Professor Regina Appiah-Opong of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research also called on the government and private stakeholders to provide greater financial support for herbal medicine research and development.
She said investment is critical to ensuring herbal medicines produced in Ghana undergo rigorous scientific evaluation, including s…
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