A delegation from the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences has commended Ghana for its leadership in the herbal medicine industry, describing the country as the best place to learn from.
According to the researchers, Ghana has advanced beyond many African countries in regulating herbal medicine products, regulating the practice and practitioners, and training competent personnel to support the sector.
The team from Malawi emphasised the need to partner with institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Ebenage Herbal Production and Consult, producers of Hepa Plus, to learn more about the industry’s success stories.
Pharmacist and lecturer in Pharmacy at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Dr. John Mponda, said the visit to the Hepa Plus production site had been an eye-opener, adding that key lessons had been learned, particularly regarding quality control along the production line.
He explained that, “the takeaway so far as a delegation is that the best way to develop this space is to partner with those who are already doing well.
“So we will continue with the KNUST and Hepa Plus in terms of training, quality control, and the cultivation of raw materials for the production of herbal medicine products.”
The delegation also toured a 20-acre farm belonging to Ebenage Herbal Production and Consult, which is dedicated solely to cultivating raw materials for herbal medicinal purposes. They observed that inorganic fertilizers and agrochemicals are not used on the farm, ensuring that the raw materials are free from pesticides and contaminants that could affect commercial herbal medicine production.
Dr. Mponda praised the management of Hepa Plus for ensuring good practices both in cultivating raw materials and in manufacturing the products.
He added, “I can say that from the farm to the production site, Hepa Plus is implementing good agricultural practices, and at the production plant they are observing good manufacturing practices. This is a good space where students can learn from, and nations like us coming all the way from Malawi can learn from and share knowledge and partnership for the development of the herbal medicine industry not only in Ghana but in Africa.”
Head of the Department of Herbal Medicine at KNUST, Dr. Kofi Tuckson, who joined the visit to the farm, said he was impressed with Hepa Plus’ initiative to establish such a facility.
He noted that the move was timely, given the continued destruction of major forest areas by illegal mining, which poses an existential threat to Ghana’s herbal medicine industry as many raw materials are being depleted.
He said this development should spark a national conversation on the need for a policy to encourage large-scale cultivation of medicinal plants to support the herbal medicine sector.
Dr. Tuckson explained that, “For us, the sustainability of the herbal medicine industry is dependent on the availability of raw materials, and in the situation where we find ourselves now, galamsey is destroying our forests and our water bodies.
“It has become very difficult to get materials of high quality, and for that matter, having your own medicinal plant farm is a big success to the herbal medicine industry. That is what we need to be able to do. Because you get products of high quality and you are able to even export the raw materials. The bigger plan is that there should be a policy in place to encourage the cultivation of medicinal plants large-scale.”
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hepa Plus also expressed concern about the threats illegal mining poses to the herbal medicine industry, stressing the importance for practitioners to own medicinal farms.
“First things first: our primary goal is to sustain production, particularly for the production of HEPA Plus, PAVI, and Plasmox. However, if students and researchers wish to learn more, our doors remain open for them to learn one or two. This will not only enhance their knowledge but also contribute to building a better Ghana and advancing the development of herbal medicine.
The issue of illegal mining is significantly affecting many practitioners, especially those who have not ventured into medicinal farm production. It increases the cost of production and makes plant processing more difficult, as producers must remove heavy metals and other toxins that may find their way into the plants,” he said.
Researchers at KNUST encouraged other practitioners to emulate the example of establishing such farms to help sustain production for the herbal medicine industry.
