Dignitaries and participants in a group photograph
Evelyn Offei, Deputy General Manager of Entrance Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Tobinco Pharmacy, has called on stakeholders, particularly the regulatory agencies, to crack the whip on fake herbal medicine producers.
She said studies have shown that herbal medicine has side effects and can contribute to the development of chronic kidney diseases in Ghana.
Ms Offei said even though alternative herbal medicine in Ghana has undergone rapid changes over the last two decades, there are still many herbal practitioners who operate without licences from the regulators.
“There is therefore the need to bring all players in the herbal industry under strict control by the regulatory agencies for the standardization of their products to ensure an active and healthy population for the development of our country,” she said.
Ms Offei disclosed this at the opening of the 3rd Biennial Scientific Conference of the College of Health Sciences organized in partnership with H3 Africa Kidney Project and the UG@70 Anniversary Committee.
Speaking on the theme, “Genetics, Hypertension, Diabetes, and herbal remedies in Chronic Kidney Diseases, the Deputy Managing Director of Entrance Pharmaceuticals, said some herbal medicines have not been thoroughly researched into and might therefore have ingredients, which may not necessarily be needed for the cure of a particular disease but worsen the plight of patients.
“There is the need to first extract the component one needs because when it comes to natural plants there are so many components and even toxins.
“The kidney plays an important role in the breakdown of drugs and so if you have a toxin in there it will either induce the kidney or hinder its performance in the breakdown of food and drugs in the body,” she explained.
Professor Ferdinand Ayeh Kumi, Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, said the three-day conference would harness research findings in a manner that is easily understandable for immediate application to help reduce chronic kidney diseases in the country.
The Scientific Conference, organized biennially, provides the platform for faculty and students from various colleges to discuss research findings that may be crucial for the formulation of good health policies in future.
By Abigail Owiredu-Boateng