Prof Olagunju cautions on herbal medicine, urges government to enforce law on advertising to protect citizens

Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Joseph Abayomi Omoniyi Olagunju, has cautioned the public on the use of herbal medicines, even as he urged the government to enforce law on advertising of herbal medicine to protect the public. 

Prof. Olagunju took the position while delivering the 92nd Inaugural Lecture of the Lagos State University (LASU) at the Buba Marwa Auditorium of the institution on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

He said even though the herbal medicines have some curative efficacy, such medicines do not come without their attendant negative consequences, hence the need to regulate their use.

The erudite Professor said that a growing population of Nigerians is suffering from chronic, debilitating illnesses with its attendant escalating healthcare costs hence they have resorted to patronizing herbal medicine with the general belief that the use of the herbs would pose no side effects and that this treatment option is cheap and generally accessible. He added that this assumption is not entirely true “Many have resorted to patronizing herbal medicine with the general belief that the use of these herbs will pose no side effects and that this treatment option is cheap and generally accessible.”

Prof. Olagunju queried government inability to monitor the activities of the medicine sellers and advertisement of such products saying “Our airwaves is also full of misleading advertisements that herbal remedies are effective in treating all ailments and pose no threat of any side effects and this has remained unchecked. Is it because our government lacked the capacity to control and check wrong information being disseminated through various adverts in this country? I do not think so. In my opinion, government appears not to enforce the mechanism put in place to control and regulate advertising of herbal products and claims.”

The expert disclosed that information coming out of research in natural products indicated high level of toxicity of these products, and therefore called on the government to immediately put the necessary mechanism in place to check the abuse of herbal products. “With a lot of information coming out of research in natural products (medicinal plants inclusive) indicating high level of toxicity of these products, government should immediately put the necessary mechanism in place to check this abuse and ensure that only herbal products whose efficacy and safety have been scientifically proved are advertised on our airwaves. This is the only way the health of the community could be safe guarded,” he maintained.

He further recommended Surveillance systems to monitor and evaluate adverse events arising from herbal therapies which for now are either weak or non-existent. “There is the urgent need for government agencies charged with pharmacovigilance in Nigeria to effectively monitor safety of herbal products through research in order to identify the safest and the most effective with tolerable side effects and liaise with the appropriate agency of government to promote their rational usage.

“In addition, government should develop regulations for the evaluation of TM/CAM with a view to ensuring authenticity, safety and efficacy of therapies, the promotion and maintenance of good practice, compulsory accreditation/registration of practitioners, education structures for practitioners and also strengthen the existing national research institutes in the field of TM/CAM by providing adequate funds and manpower for research,” he said.

He recommended that Researchers in the area of Medicinal Plant need the support of the University to carry out cutting-edge research. He added that construction and equipping of a Central Research Laboratory with state-of-the-art facilities is long overdue and appealed to ensure this is achieved in her tenure.

Speaking on his researches he said “I have been able to provide scientific evidences that lent credence to the folkloric usage of many of the plants studied in Medication Therapy where Medicinal Plants occupy a central and an important place. I have also deployed my experience and expertise in Medicinal Plants’ research to make modest contributions to manpower development and I want to use the opportunity created by today’s occasion to invite any individual who may wish to develop his or herself in this beautiful, interesting and very challenging area of research to come and work with me as a graduate student or as joint researcher before I finally retire from service.

”My research output has proved beyond any doubt that the general belief that herbal preparations are relatively safe and have no side effects is not true after all. The biochemical, toxicological and histopathological effects enumerated for the plants sampled and discussed in this lecture are inimical to human health and they cannot be ignored. Consequent upon the last point made, I have the following|”