Prof. Andrew Uloko of the College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, has called for increased investment in Research and Development (R&D) to transform Africa’s traditional medicine heritage into healthcare solutions that are safe, effective, affordable and backed by science.
Uloko made the call in a keynote address at the African Traditional Medicine Day celebration in Lagos on Monday.
The event had the theme: “The Role of Research and Development of Traditional Medicines Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage in the African Region”.
He noted that Africa would not be able to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) if it continued to neglect a healthcare system that served a large part of its population.
Uloko said R&D was key to bridging traditional knowledge with evidence-based healthcare.
He noted that while traditional medicine was a major part of healthcare in Africa, its role in achieving UHC remained underdeveloped.
Many remedies, he said, had yet to undergo scientific validation, clinical testing, standardisation and regulatory approval.
He said traditional medicine encompasses knowledge, skills and practices based on indigenous beliefs and experiences used for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and the maintenance of health.
Uloko said traditional medicine comprised medicinal plants, derivatives from animals and minerals, and various traditional procedures and indigenous healing practices.
He, however, cautioned that traditional use alone was not enough to prove the safety or effectiveness of a remedy.
“Traditional use is valuable, but traditional use alone does not prove safety or efficacy,” he said, stressing the need for rigorous research to establish the safety, efficacy, quality and appropriate formulation of traditional medicines.
He identified access to healthcare, quality and safety, and financial protection as the three critical pillars of universal health coverage.
According to him, these challenges are particularly significant in Africa, where unequal geographical access to healthcare, shortages of health workers, high out-of-pocket medical expenses and limited availability and affordability of essential medicines continue to constrain healthcare delivery.
He said properly researched and regulated traditional medicines could complement existing health services and potentially improve access and affordability, particularly for communities where traditional healthcare remains culturally and geographically accessible.
He identified medicinal plants as a significant source of potentially useful compounds, citing their structural diversity, cultural acceptance and potential for cost-effective healthcare solutions.
He mentioned commonly used remedies such as ginger and other plant-based preparations, saying they required further scientific investigation to determine their therapeutic value.
He challenged researchers to generate stronger evidence for traditional remedies through well-designed clinical studies, including randomised controlled trials.
According to Uloko, the widespread acceptance of some traditional remedies among communities must be matched by scientific evidence if they are to be integrated responsibly into formal healthcare systems.
“We need to generate the evidence. That is an assignment for all of us,” he said.
He also cautioned that calling a product “natural” did not automatically make it safe.
He called for proper identification of medicinal plants, purity testing, contamination testing, standardisation, appropriate dosage, quality assurance and adverse-event monitoring.
Uloko said that in addition to research, there was a need for stronger collaboration between traditional medicine practitioners, scientists, clinicians, public health experts, regulators, manufacturers and investors.
He called on researchers and institutions to work closely with traditional practitioners and local communities in developing traditional medicines, saying products created without community input might not meet actual healthcare needs.
Uloko called for stronger protection of traditional knowledge through intellectual property and regulatory measures, but warned this should not be used to withhold data needed to prove product safety and efficacy.
He also advocated sustainable cultivation and sourcing of medicinal plants to prevent the depletion of important plant resources as demand for traditional medicines increases.
On policy implementation, he said African countries, including Nigeria, must move beyond developing policies and strategic documents to ensuring their effective implementation.
