FG and Korean Government Join Forces to Combat NTDs

FG and Korean Government Join Forces to Combat NTDs Worried by the dangers pose by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general, the federal government has entered into partnership with the South Korea to share experiences and map out modalities to combat the diseases. Speaking at the Africa-Korea partnership in pharmaceutical and Health innovation for NTDs workshop in Abuja, yesterday, the Minister of Health, Professor Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that Nigeria has a lot to learn from South Korea in the area of pharmaceuticals. He regretted that most of the drugs used in Nigeria were imported and called on the Korean investors to invest in Nigeria in the area of pharmaceutical industries in order to boost drug production in the country, stressing: “Our country has a large market and conducive place for investment. Chukwu, however, charged the participants at the workshop to bring out reliable outcome that will transform the health of Nigerians, assuring that “the outcome will be properly put to use. He said that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and NTDs such as dengue, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, and leishmaniasis, cause 32% of the burden of ill health in Africa, and seriously impact on health outcomes in every region of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people approximately one-sixth of the world's population suffer from at least one NTD. NTDs, apart from the diseases of the poor, have not been given much attention; they tend to thrive in developing regions of the world, where water quality, sanitation, and access to health care are substandard. While NTDs rarely lead to death, they can cause significant disability that persists for a lifetime. They can cause fatigue, blindness, and disfigurement. Sufferers miss school, are unable to work, or are too embarrassed to seek medical care. By diminishing quality of life and opportunities to succeed, NTDs can reinforce the cycle of poverty among the world's disadvantaged populations. Speaking, the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Jong-Hyun Choi, stressed that the importance of public health cannot be overemphasized and challenged the Nigerian government to take proper ownership of its public health. He noted that Korea had overcome the NTDs and was willing to share experiences and ideas to enable Africa and Nigeria in particular handle such problems. He said that the Korean government was ready to work with the Nigerian government to enable the citizens of both countries live more prosperous, safe and enjoy good life.

Child Spacing Essential Pillar of Safe Motherhood- Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

DetailsCategory: News Published on Friday, 07 June 2013 06:57 Written by Regina Hits: 479 Minister of Health, Prof.C.O.Onyebuchi Chukwu has described family planning/child spacing as an essential pillar of safe motherhood. The Minister stated this in Abuja today at a Press Briefing to commemorate the National Safe Motherhood Day with the theme: Safe motherhood “A must for every pregnant woman”. The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele said that Nigeria has been making concerted and systematic efforts to make pregnancy safer since the launch of the Safe Motherhood Initiative in 1987 stressing that these efforts cumulated in the reduction of maternal mortality ratio in the country from 1000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 545 per 100,000 live births in 2008. He said that in the last decade and in line with the global clarion call to ensure safe motherhood, the Government of Nigeria articulated effective policies, guideline and interventions, which are harmonized within the National Strategic Health Development Plan(NSHDP 2010-2015). He said that in addition to the procurement of contraceptives, the Ministry procured and distributed Emergency Obstetrics drugs namely Magnesium Sulphate and Misoprostol as well as provide technical support to states in terms of building the capacity of critical mass of health workers on Maternal and Child Health interventions. Prof. Chukwu said that at the first Global Summit on Family planning, which was held on 11th July, 2012 the Government of Nigeria increased its commitments to the family planning programme by 300% and has committed $8.35m annually for the next 4 years. He added that this additional resources would also be committed to providing essential life saving medicines for women and children in Nigeria as part of Mr. President’s commitment to the United Nations Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. He stressed that in order to ensure skilled care as well as addressing the human resources crisis at the Primary Healthcare level; the government established the Midwives Service Scheme in 2009 adding that to date about 4000 midwives and 1000 Community Health Extension Workers have been mobilized and deployed to Primary Healthcare Facilities in the country. He said that consolidating on the gains from the Midwives Service Scheme, the Government of Nigeria through the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE P) would improve supply in commodities, maternal and child health drugs, equipment and refurbishment of infrastructure at service delivery points. He added that more midwives and Community Health Extension Workers would be recruited and also plans are underway to scale up the number of midwives from 1500 to 2500 by 2014.

FG and Korean Government Join Forces to Combat NTDs

DetailsCategory: News Published on Wednesday, 26 June 2013 13:53 Written by Super User Hits: 475 Worried by the dangers pose by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general, the federal government has entered into partnership with the South Korea to share experiences and map out modalities to combat the diseases. Speaking at the Africa-Korea partnership in pharmaceutical and Health innovation for NTDs workshop in Abuja, yesterday, the Minister of Health, Professor Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that Nigeria has a lot to learn from South Korea in the area of pharmaceuticals. He regretted that most of the drugs used in Nigeria were imported and called on the Korean investors to invest in Nigeria in the area of pharmaceutical industries in order to boost drug production in the country, stressing: “Our country has a large market and conducive place for investment. Chukwu, however, charged the participants at the workshop to bring out reliable outcome that will transform the health of Nigerians, assuring that “the outcome will be properly put to use. He said that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and NTDs such as dengue, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, and leishmaniasis, cause 32% of the burden of ill health in Africa, and seriously impact on health outcomes in every region of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people approximately one-sixth of the world's population suffer from at least one NTD. NTDs, apart from the diseases of the poor, have not been given much attention; they tend to thrive in developing regions of the world, where water quality, sanitation, and access to health care are substandard. While NTDs rarely lead to death, they can cause significant disability that persists for a lifetime. They can cause fatigue, blindness, and disfigurement. Sufferers miss school, are unable to work, or are too embarrassed to seek medical care. By diminishing quality of life and opportunities to succeed, NTDs can reinforce the cycle of poverty among the world's disadvantaged populations. Speaking, the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Jong-Hyun Choi, stressed that the importance of public health cannot be overemphasized and challenged the Nigerian government to take proper ownership of its public health. He noted that Korea had overcome the NTDs and was willing to share experiences and ideas to enable Africa and Nigeria in particular handle such problems. He said that the Korean government was ready to work with the Nigerian government to enable the citizens of both countries live more prosperous, safe and enjoy good life. •Next >

How Salt Affects Blood Pressure

How Salt Affects Blood Pressure: Salt (sodium) is essential to our bodies. Normally the kidneys control the level of salt. If there is too much salt, the kidneys pass it into urine. But when our salt intake levels are very high, the kidneys cannot keep up and the salt ends up in our bloodstream. Salt attracts water. When there is too much salt in the blood, the salt draws more water into the blood. More water increases the volume of blood which raises blood pressure. Salt Sensitivity : Some people are more sensitive to salt than others. In some people too much salt will cause their blood pressures to rise, in others there will not be as large a change. About half of people are salt sensitive. African-America­­ns, the elderly and people with diabetes are more often salt sensitive. If you have high blood pressure, you can always benefits from decreasing your salt intake. The Salt Intake Recommendations­­: You need about 500 milligrams of salt everyday for your body to function. Most people take in about 10 times that amount daily. The recommended amount of salt for people with high blood pressure is about 1500 milligrams a day. Any reduction in your salt intake will help. Lowering Your Salt Intake: Processed foods use salt as an additive. Almost 80% of the average person's daily salt intake comes from processed foods. If we ate only natural foods and limited the use of table salt, we would be able to eliminate excess salt in our diets. Foods to Avoid: Salt can hide in many processed foods. Try to eat mostly produce, fruits and fresh meat. Avoid condiments, pickles, ham, bacon, salsa, cheese, cold cuts, olives, broths, anything canned, and anything processed. The list can go on and on. You need to check the sodium content on food labels and think twice about anything with over 100 mg per serving. A few of these items are okay everyday, but not too many. Culled from facebook page of centre for women and youth development foundation by oghogho Omoekpen.

CANDIDA - THRUSH - YEAST INFECTION - VAGINITIS.

CANDIDA - THRUSH - YEAST INFECTION - VAGINITIS. A yeast infection is one of those infections that makes every woman and female teenager grimace with discomfort and embarrassment. Millions of women around the world are diagnosed with yeast infection every year and half of all women will get yeast infection in their lifetime. Once you have yeast infection it will normally make many things unpleasant, including those night time pleasures. Although yeast infection is more prevalent among women and teenage girls, it can also infect men, children and babies. Yeast infection is also known by the common terms thrush, candida and vaginitis. Yeast Infection is a fungus that normally exists on the skin in small numbers and generally causes no problems. Everyone has yeast infection fungi on their skin and mucous membranes (special skin areas often involved in food digestion and elimination - such as in the mouth, the anus, vagina, penis, etc.) The yeast becomes an infection when the fungus breeds up. That is, when the fungi - the individual reproducing units - reproduce much faster than they die off. CAUSES. There are many causes of yeast infection. Essentially though, it's something that happens to the body that allows the normal yeast infection to take over. Areas of the body most likely infected by Candida: The yeast infection symptoms mainly appear on the mucous membranes. The mucous membranes are the membranes which secrete or produce mucous and normally line the passageways of the body which connect to the outside world - the mouth, throat (the pharnyx, the esophagus), intestines, the urinary bladder, anus, vagina and penis - they can all suffer from a yeast infection. It can also occur in the navel, on the breasts, the armpits, around the mouth, around the male or female genitalia, or within any fold of skin that doesn't see the light of day all that often. Yeast infection symptoms can also occur on the skin, on the finger or toe nails, or on the bottom. Yeast infection can also enter the blood stream and infect the organs of the body. When the yeast infection does this, you are said to have a "systemic yeast infection". The yeast infection starts when the fungus finds an environment with good conditions and not a lot of competition. At that point it changes from a relatively harmless unicellular organism into an invasive multicellular organism and starts reproducing as fast as it can, wherever it can. Yeast Infection will affect any area where conditions are good for it, but will fail to affect areas that aren't susceptible or that it can't get to. In other words, you can have vaginal candidiasis without getting oral candidiasis along with it, and vice versa. So it may be safe to kiss, but not have intercourse and vice versa. Yeast Infection Symptoms: The symptoms of a yeast infection are fairly unique. Somewhere on the body develops either white plaques, or starts emitting a white, cheesy or curd-like discharge. In addition, you'll usually experience yeast infection symptoms of serious itching, burning, redness and inflammation on and around the infected site. If the yeast infection is on exterior skin, the usual symptoms also include red, patchy sores with a distinct border that also itch and burn like mad. A... The Symptoms of a yeast infection of the vagina and vulva include: A discharge from the area which is either whitish or yellowish in color. Inflammation of the area - swelling, redness, Squishy, whitish stuff may adhere to the vagina walls aka lining. There may be a nasty smell from the vagina. The Symptoms of a yeast infection of the penis include: Occasionally a discharge will be noticed from the tip. Irritation of the penis head. Redness of the penis head. Pain in the penis head. Yeast Infection Symptoms in the Mouth and Throat: Whitish or whitish blue patches in the mouth or on the tongue. Tongue may have inflammation - swollen and red. Probably be difficult or painful to swallow. Will probably itch. Cracks around the corners of the mouth are common in oral yeast infection Treatment and Cure: A doctor will either prescribe an antifungal medication or recommend one of the over-the-counter preparations. There are quite a few antifungals out there, and they come in mouthwash, cream and tablet form in order to kill the infection wherever it is. While you might be able to defeat a case of candidiasis without these medications, you run the risk of turning it into a recurring infection, which then becomes a lot harder to treat. REFERENCES USED :Walsh TJ, Dixon DM (1996). "Deep Mycoses", in Baron S et al eds.: Baron's Medical Microbiology , 4th ed., Univ of Texas Medical Branch.

Health Minister task Nigerians on environmental sanitation

Minister of Health, Prof. C. O. Onyebuchi has called on Nigerians to imbibe the culture of environmental sanitation in order to stem the tide of malaria infection in the country. The Minister gave this advice in Abuja at an occasion to commemorate the 2013 World Malaria Day celebration. Delivering his key note address, the Minister said that malaria remains a major public health problem in Nigeria adding that it has continued to be a major threat to human capital development component of the Transformation Agenda as well as other national and international development goals. He said that President Goodluck Jonathan has approved at the Federal Executive Council meeting that the Ministry should engage in other interventions aside from distributing nets adding that focusing on the environment is key to reducing the incidence of malaria. He said: “If we do simple things like keeping the environment clean, we don’t need the nets”. He said that his Ministry is embarking on indoor residual spray, it is also going to do larviciding which Federal, State and local Governments will be part of it. He explained that the World Malaria Day celebration is designed to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to raise awareness and increase the knowledge on malaria control adding that the occasion provides as an opportunity to celebrate the successes achieved in malaria control in the past one year and to advocate for support for more resources and commodities that will make the fight against malaria more effective. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Invest in the Future: Defeat Malaria”, while the slogan is ‘’Time is now”. Prof. Chukwu said that investments in malaria control have created unprecedented momentum and yielded remarkable returns in the past years stressing that in Africa, malaria deaths have been cut by one third within the last decade; continuous investments in malaria will ensure continuous decline in the incidence of malaria. In his goodwill message, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis Sambo who was represented by WHO country representative, Dr. Gama Vaz said that over the past decade, countries in the African Region have made commendable progress in the prevention and control of malaria. He said the World Malaria Report 2012 indicates a 33% decrease in malaria deaths in Africa adding that during the same period, an estimated 1.1 million malaria deaths were averted. He said that increased domestic and external funding is needed to ensure that adequate quantities of commodities, including enough long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets, Insecticides, Rapid tests, microscopes, reagents and anti-malarial drugs are accessible and used rationally. He said that integrated delivery of anti-malarial actions with maternal and child health, immunization, hygiene, sanitation and improved housing programmes must be expanded in order to defeat malaria stressing that strong political commitment, strengthened regional cooperation and multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration are critical.

This free picture collage generated with Smilebox

LOCAL HERBS,LOCAL REMEDIES (2)

Nigerian Guardian
Natural science (http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/natural_health/article04)
07/24/07

Lobster shell shows great healing, bio-stimulant properties
SCIENTISTS from the University of Havana have used lobster waste to generate chitin and chitosan, two key compounds in biomedicine and agriculture.

They used these compounds to produce surgical materials with great healing and antiseptic properties as well as to enhance growth speed and germination in seeds. Research results have been published in international research journals such as Macromol, Food Hydrocolloids, Journal of Applied Polymer Science or Polymer Bulletin.

Chitin is a polymer very common in nature as part of animals' and plants' physical structures. Only cellulose is more abundant than chitin, which makes this compound a highly important renewable resource that can easily be found in arthropods, insects, arachnids, molluscs, fungus and algae.

The fishing industry in Cuba generates great amounts of lobster waste, "a pollutant rich in proteins and chitin", states Prof. Carlos Andr�s Peniche Covas, head of the Biopolymers Research Group, from the Biomaterials Centre of the University of Havana. This group is doing research into chitin and chitosan extraction from such waste, in collaboration with the Spanish Centre for Scientific Research (CSIC), the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain) and the Mexican Research Centre for Food and Development.

Peniche points out that "this work allows for the first accurate and comprehensive results of a university study on chitin and chitosan.

The study starts at the extraction of these compounds from polluting waste of the Cuban fishing industry and it goes on to cover these products' characterisation through traditional techniques and some more innovative ones, the study of their properties, the development of new by-products and the testing of their practical applications in areas useful for this Caribbean country, such as agriculture and biomedicine."

These researchers' work has led to the development of a procedure to obtain surgical materials with great healing and antiseptic properties. "This procedure involves using chitosan to cover surgical threads and lint, into which antibiotics are injected.

By doing this, we obtain medical materials with both antimicrobial and healing properties and, as they are covered in a natural polymer, with a higher degree of biocompatibility." Research shows that such properties remained unmodified after sterilisation.

Two new types of surgical thread were produced in collaboration with the Cuban Superior Institute of Military Medicine "Dr. Luis D�az Soto": Agasut-Q, covered with chitosan (healing properties) and Agasut-QE, covered with chitosan and streptomycin (healing and antimicrobial properties). After pre-clinical and clinical trials were approved, both surgical thread types were introduced and successfully used in several Cuban hospitals.

The study, however, was not restricted to biomedicine. In co-operation with the Cuban National Centre for Agricultural and Livestock Health (CENSA), this group worked in "seed coating to boost farming yields as well as in encapsulation of somatic embryos to design artificial seeds".

In trials, tomato seeds of variety 1-17(140) were coated with chitosan. Under laboratory conditions, treated seeds showed significantly higher growth speed and percentage of successful germination when compared to non-treated seeds.

In Peniche's words, the research group concluded that "chitosan works as a bio-stimulant in tomato seed treatment by producing better seed germination and greater plant height, stem thickness and dry mass about a week earlier than usual".

Chitosan proved to be a natural polymer with great film-generating capacity, apart from other highly interesting properties: chitosan does not produce polluting substances, it is non-toxic and bio-compatible.

LOCAL HERBS,LOCAL REMEDIES

Nigerian Guardian
Natural science (http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/natural_health/article01)
07/24/07

Study unveils medicinal values of 35 local plants
CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes on how 35 local plants are prepared in South-eastern Nigeria for treating several ailments including chesty coughs, boils, malaria, typhoid, fever, ulcers, diarrhoea, among others.

A RECENT study by Gordian C. Obute of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Port Harcourt has unveiled some 35 medicinal plants scattered in 23 plant families, with reported medicinal importance to the people of South-eastern Nigeria.

The study catalogued common plants used by the indigenous people of South-eastern Nigeria for medicinal purposes based on collections during field trips and visits to traditional medicine practitioners in these parts, and questionnaires administered to resident knowledgeable respondents. The study also described the plants and their local names provided where possible while the medicinal uses and parts used were listed.

The plants include: False thistle, alligator pepper, goat weed, Cashew, dogoyaro, pawpaw, Awolowo weed, lime, lemon, bitter leaf, lemon grass, vegetable jute, castor bean, oil palm tree; goose-grass; yellow tassel flower, asthma plant, mango, bitter kola, scent leaf, smooth Newbouldia, cassava, guava, fluted pumpkin, native Pear, Christmas bush, among others.

According to the study titled "Ethno-medicinal Plant Resources of South Eastern Nigeria," of all the plants sampled, 74.29 per cent grew wild, 62.85 per cent are cultivated, and 25.71 per cent are both wild and cultivated. The study shows the diverse families from which the indigenous people of the South-eastern Nigeria obtain medicinal plants.

Among the families Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae provided the highest proportion of medicinal plants at 11.43 per cent each followed by Zingiberaceae, Rutaceae and Poaceae at 5.71 per cent each.

According to the study, the leaves of these plants are the commonly used parts although all the parts of the plants play prominent roles in peoples' health care.

To on the list is false thistle (Acanthus montanus) which is of the plant family Acanthaceae. It is called Inyinyi ogwu in Ibo. The study indicates it is anti-tussive; leaf decoction used to treat chesty coughs and boils.

The study indicates that alligator pepper is a stimulant and diuretic. Crushed seeds mixed with crushed bitter kola and water extract of bitter leaf all mixed with proper amount of water is used to treat diabetes. Whole fruit eaten along with two moderately sized ginger cures beri beri. One whole pepper added to three seeds of ripe papaw, dried locus bean all ground to make soup is a remedy for female infertility. Alligator pepper (Afromomum melegueta ) is of the plant family Zingiberaceae and it is locally known as ose oji.

An infusion is goat weed known as ula njula or urata njele in Ibo is used as purgative. Sap squeezed from the leaves is used to treat wounds and eye problems. It is botanically called Ageratum conyzoides.

The study indicates that one - two drops of a tincture applied four - five times a day treats ringworm infection. The bark and leaves used as diuretic. Cashew (Anarcadium occidentale) is of the plant family Anarcadiaceae.

The study indicates that local application of Alstonia boonei (Apocynaceae) called Egbu in Ibo is used as analgesic for rheumatic pains, bark is boiled with garlic and lime and taken 1 glass three times daily. Juice extract mixed with lime and a tinge of salt is used to treat mouth odour.

The study indicates that drinking or bathing with leaf decoction or infusion of Neem or Dogoyaro (Azadirachta indica) of the plant family Meliaceae is a remedy for chicken pox and small pox, boiling leaves with lemon grass treats malaria, used as a vermifuge, remedy for ulcers and wounds. Juice squeezed from leaves with a little water is used as an eye drop but if mixed with pure honey is good for ear ailments. Twig chewed as a relief for toothache.

According to the study, unripe fruit of papaya or pawpaw (Carica papaya), which belongs to the plant family Caricaceae is mixed with garlic and fermented for three days is used as a diuretic. Chewing a handful of seeds of pawpaw, okpurukwa in Ibo, in the morning and evening and add decoction of unripe papaw with unripe pineapple, lime, 10cm long sugar cane piece, six bags of Lipton tea in four litres of water has anti-malarial effects. Sap from unripe fruit or trunk is used to treat eczema, razor bumps and nematode infestations.

Mashed leaf water extract of Siam weed or Awolowo weed (Chromolaena odorata) of the plant family Asteraceae is used for stomach upset, sap from leaves used to treat wounds. The perennial shrub is called obiarakara in Ibo.

Local application of Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) of plant family Rutaceae with honey is used to cure catarrh, juice used to treat stomach-ache and feverish conditions.

The study indicates that the infusion of the rind of Lemon (Citrus limon) which belongs to the plant family Rutaceae is prepared in alcohol is used for digestive disorders, juice used to treat diarrhoea, ulcers, excessive weight gain. Diluted juice used to treat spots, scabs, wounds scars and insect bites.

Leaves of Vegetable Jute (Corchorus olitorius) of plant family Tiliaceae is pounded with rubber leaves and mixed with a little water then filtered is taken to remedy irregular menstrual flow in women. Leaf extracts by boiling is used for treating fevers. The plant is called Ahihiara in Ibo.

Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) which is of the plant family Poaceae is used as an astringent, diuretic and antiseptic. The leaf is boiled in two litres of water for 30 - 40 minutes with 25 whole limes, two grape fruits, two unripe papaw fruits, and two unripe pineapples, cut garlic and the bark of Alstonia boonei and used to treat typhoid fever.

Used with Napoleona imperialis, Diodia scandens (Rubiaceae) as a vermifuge for children; an infusion of the same combination used for pregnant women and afterbirth treatment to clear the womb. The plant is called Onaedi in Ibo.

The study indicates that 5-10g and 15 - 30g of Castor bean oil (Ricinus communis) of plant family Euphorbiaceae used as a purgative for children and adults respectively. External application of oil is used to treat skin infections.

Oil from the seeds of Oil Palm tree (Elaeis guineeensis) which belongs to the plant family Arecaceae is administered as an antidote for poisons. Oil from the kernel of Oil Palm tree, nkwu or akwu in Ibo used to treat several skin ailments and convulsion in children. Unripe kernel is believed to prevent fibroids when at least 25 - 30 nuts are chewed every day for 12 weeks.

Goosegrass or wiregrass, Ichite in Ibo is used as an anti-inflammatory, and for convulsion in children. Botanically called Eleusine indica (Poaceae).

Fluid from squeezed leaves of Yellow tassel flower, called ogbunizu in Ibo used to treat wounds because it contains coagulant factors. Botanically called Emilia sonchifolia (Asteraceae).

The leaves of Australian asthma plant, garden spurge or spurge weed (ogwu asma or ahihia ugwa in Ibo) is used to treat asthma and catarrh, external application for treatment of eczema. Speculated to be a cure for aids since it stimulates the immune system. It is also called Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae).

The seeds of Bitter cola (aku ilu or agbu ilu in Ibo) are chewed to treat bronchitis and throat infections. An infusion of the root with a little salt is a remedy for asthma. Bitter cola is botanically called Garcinia kola.

Gummy sap of Harungana madaga-scariensis (Hypericaceae), Otori in Ibo is applied locally to treat skin diseases like itches and leprous spots.

The study indicates that boiling of leaves Mango, Mangifera indica (Anarcadiaceae) in water and drinking the resultant solution is a cure for malaria; Bark is soaked for 24 hours and the water extract is used, along with bathing with this three times a day, to treat typhoid fever.

Premature roots of cassava, called Akpu in Ibo are used to treat eye problems. Cassava is botanically called Manihot esculenta and belongs to the plant family Euphorbiaceae.

An infusion of the leaves of Vogel's Napoleona (Nnekeloche or abakalabaka in Ibo) is used to dissolve clotted blood in freshly delivered women; but used as a vermifuge for children. Stem is used to cure gonorrhoea while the roots are used to fevers. The plant is also called Napoleona imperialis (Lecythidaceae).

According to the study, the leaves of Smooth Newbouldia (Ogirisi in Ibo) are squeezed and the extract use to treat eye problems. Roots, barks and leaves are used during childbirth, constipation and on septic wounds. It is botanically called Newbouldia laevis and belongs to the plant family Bignoniaceae.

The study indicates that a glass of leaf extract of The tea bush or scent leaf (Nchuanwu in Ibo) taken before a meal is a remedy for constipation as well as worms in the gastro intestinal tract. As treatment for diabetes mellitus, the same amount of Ocimum gratissimum leaves and mistletoe Viscum album in water taken a glass three times daily until the symptoms disappear. The plant is also called Ocimum gratissimum (Labiateae).

Leaves and stem of ikpere aturu (in Ibo) are used in treating rheumatism arthritis if taken as an infusion. The plant is botanically called Palisota hirsuta (Commelinaceae).

According to the study, Utazi (in Ibo) is used for cleansing the womb after childbirth; the leaves are ground or chewed raw to treat stubborn cough and also taken to treat running stomach. It is also called Gangronema latifolium (Asclepiadaceae). Botanically called Piper nigrum, Uziza (in Ibo) is used to stabilise the womb in women after birth.

Commonly called Guava, Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) leaves according to the study are soaked in salt water washed and squeezed and product made up with fresh water to give a greenish liquid that is taken one glass two times daily for one week to increase blood level. A decoction of 50g of the leaves and bark of the root is made in one litre of water and taken a glass every four hours to cure diarrhoea and dysentery.

The stem of Broom weed (udo or nsi inyinya in Ibo is used to treat malaria. It is also called Sida acuta (Malvaceae).

The leaves of Fluted pumpkin (Ugu in Ibo) are squeezed in water and taken to treat dizziness and anaemia. Roots are potent poisons. It is botanically called Telfairia occidentalis (Cucurbitaceae).

According to the study, squeezing the leaves of Bitter leaf (Onugbu in Ibo) and mixing the product with palm wine and rubbing the body down together with drinking a glass daily cures measles, small pox and chicken pox. If mixed with lime and orange juice and taken for a fortnight is a cure for pile. Root epidermis is used to treat diarrhoea. The sap from the leaf is an anti-fungal agent. The plant is also called Vernonia amygdalina (Asteraceae).

Resin from the stem of Native pear (Ube in Ibo) is used to treat skin parasites; the fruit is eaten as a remedy for heat conditions. The plant is also called Dacryoides edulis (Burseraceae).

The leaves of Christmas bush, botanically called Alchornia cordifolia (Euphorbiaceae) are chewed or squeezed and drank to treat eye conditions; root epidermis is a good bitter.

Minister of Health Accept Alternative Medicine in Nigeria

Nigerian medical students should gear up for a new course: traditional medicine.
For years, the practitioners of herbal/­traditional/­alternative medicine have lobbied the government and it seems their efforts have paid off. The Federal Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has said that the health ministry has already started the process of incorporating traditional medicine practice int...o the medical school curriculum.
The Minister also pointed out that the official recognition and full integration of herbal
medicine into the curriculum will allow herbal practitioners to get the very best of expert knowledge in the medical schools. He also stated that equal opportunities will be given to all the stakeholders of the health industry in Nigeria.

Alternative Therapy Medicine

Alternative therapy is a branch of medicine that can never be pushed aside because of the efficacy of natural medicine. Alternative medicine can't really be categorised under primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare system. It comprises the whole health system practiced in the field of medicine and as such people should start embracing it as an important medium in finding succour to their health issue.