Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has reiterated that the cure for COVID-19 and other diseases is in “our backyard if we look inwards.”

He disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos on the occasion of Africa Traditional Medicine Day. The day coincided with the formal launching of the Pan-African Foundation for Traditional Medical Research and Development (PAFIMERD).

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside August 31 to celebrate African traditional medicine every year. The royal father also announced that herbal medicines are available whose efficacy has been proved by thousands of people who have used the products. He listed products that have been submitted to NAFDAC for registration including immune booster against COVID-19 and other diseases. The immune booster is of the series of herbal remedies developed under the aegis of the Pan African Foundation for Indigenous Medical Research and Development, an initiative by him.

He was full of praises for African traditional medicine for its efficacy in improving people health and overall wellbeing, stressing that its high time African leaders and other stakeholders collaborated to promote their God-given herbs and roots, which he insisted are efficient for treatment of various ailments. ”Before I became the Ooni of Ife, I used to have a lot of headache because I worked a lot. But when I became king, the responsibilities were like 10 times more. What I did then was to change to herbal products that I inherited on the throne as king.

“I don’t use anything other than traditional products including my sponge. I make my own bath soap right in my palace. We have a section that leads to what we call ‘elewe omo’. “Ever since I started using traditional products I have never been to the hospital to treat any ailment in five years. If I go for a medical check-up, which is like once in two months, the result turns out fine. So I am a living testimony of the efficacy of local herbal products.”

The royal father said that the current global pandemic of COVID-19 is an opportunity for African traditional medicine researchers to showcase to the world what they are capable of. “We have always been a pacesetter. History has it that cure for chickenpox and smallpox emanated from Africa. We have done it before and we can do it again.”

He said that PAFIMED will offer African traditional medicine researchers opportunity to contribute to the development of humanity. The Foundation, he said, will coordinate the entire activities of the various herbal solutions and this will be done in partnership with reputable medical institutions in the country with support from federal and state government.

According to the Director of PAFIMED, Prof Esimai Olapeju, the foundation will help to create a formidable platform for genuine herbal products and research development. “A lot of people, both urban and rural, use traditional medicine and the orthodox practitioners are not really in support of it because of toxic and safeness issues as many people use some fake products and end up present late at the hospital. The foundation aims to create a reliable platform to promote African traditional medicine and we want to support research in the area of traditional medicine, and also to be a link between the genuine traditional herbal products in showcasing them to the world.” (The Nation)

Update news