Many Ugandans continue to shun modern medicine in preference to herbal medicine. “Herbal medicine is quite popular in Uganda. It is actually estimated that more than 80% of the population in Uganda rely on herbal medicine (the medicinal plants) to meet their primary healthcare needs.” Said, Godwin Anywar – Pharmacologist. Akullu Prossy walks to the backyard garden in her residence and plucks a leaf of Aloe Vera. After carefully peeling the bark cover, she uses the sup to ease a headache. Akullu inherited this knowledge from her grandparents. “Even without education, they were able to treat the sickness using the traditional medicine.” Said, Akullu Prossy – Herbalist. “Since time immemorial, our forefathers have relied on nature. They have relied on medicinal plants to treat themselves. And diseases are not new but we have always survived, we have always lived through them even before modern medicine came.” Said, Godwin Anywar – Pharmacologist.
“It still works, it’s the same herbal medicine working today. It’s the derivative of all this modern medicine so going back to its use I think is the best way.” Plants locally used in herbal medicine continue to play a key role in the modern medicine. “When you actually investigate or scientifically check these medicinal plants which have been used traditionally to treat diseases, the chances of getting a drug used in modern medicine actually are very higher.” Said, Godwin Anywar – Pharmacologist. However, traditional elders rich in knowledge of herbal medicine lack the capacity to document it. “There is a famous West African poem which actually says that when an old man dies in Africa an entire library burns down.” According to Godwin Anywar, many pharmaceutical industries, however, are starting to adopt traditional knowledge. “It is only recently that many pharmaceutical industries in the West are realizing the importance of this rich source of knowledge.” Said, Godwin Anywar – Pharmacologist.
Polonius African a local plant is already being exported. “The bark, unfortunately, is exported to Europe where they have these experts to make these drugs; they formulate the drugs for prostate cancer and then they send them back to us. We are buying these drugs very expensively.” Said, Godwin Anywar – Pharmacologist. So what should then be done to save the herbal medicine resource industry? “A lot needs to be done to bring our esteemed herbalists on board.” Said, Godwin Anywar – Pharmacologist. Meddy Kizito advised the youth to venture into herbal medicine products. “Go find out how can you make a product from such and such. How can I make a juice out of such a fruit?” Said, Meddy Kizito – Herbal Product Developer.
