Expert tasks FG on regulatory agency for traditional medicine products

The federal government has been enjoined to set up a separate regulatory agency for traditional medicine products in the country. A fertility expert , Dr Ekinyi Destiny Ochete, made the call while briefing newsmen in Abuja. Ochete, who is a traditional, alternative and complementary medicine practitioner, and the chief executive officer of EEK fertility Herbal […]

The federal government has been enjoined to set up a separate regulatory agency for traditional medicine products in the country.

A fertility expert , Dr Ekinyi Destiny Ochete, made the call while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

Ochete, who is a traditional, alternative and complementary medicine practitioner, and the chief executive officer of EEK fertility Herbal Limited said doing so would address challenges currently faced by herbal medicine practitioners as well as ensure quality control in herbal medicine products.

She said the present structure which puts the regulation of traditional medicines and conventional medicines under one regulatory agency does not augur well for the country.

She said, “Government should make registration with the appropriate organizations easy for us to reach the society. It is very difficult right now. Some of our products have passed the regular tests and procedures, but will sit at the last stage for many years without approval.

“There should be a body set up to regulate the circulation of traditional products as it regards humans.

“There is need for quality control on traditional medicine products . Traditional medicine should have a separate regulatory body that regulates quality and melts out penalties to people that default in quality check.”

The expert, who said her personal experience inspired her into practicing fertility treatment, added that blocked tubes is the major medical condition driving infertility in women in the country while issues with sperm count account for major infertility issues in men.

She said Nigerians were not harnessing the potentials of traditional medicines enough , adding that it was wrong for conventional medicine practitioners to keep discouraging Nigerians from the use of herbal medicines.

She advised women who are trying to conceive to first eat right and embrace a healthy lifestyle .

“A lot of cases brought to us are not cases that require medicines. They are cases that require just eating right and proper detoxification of the body,” she sai,,d.