Concoctions, drinks, mixtures, and different solid elements are a big part of our healthcare system in Nigeria and Africa. These traditional dosage forms have become a mainstay of the treatment patterns adopted in combating tropical ailments.
When discussions surrounding the use of these traditional dosage forms are held, their appropriateness, the need for standardization, and even their efficacy and effectiveness are points that generate arguments. Is it possible for a correlation to be drawn that unequal access to good, quality medications may be a core reason as to why these traditional forms of treatments still pervade our health system in Nigeria?
There are different sides to this argument, but a unifying opinion should be that standardized and properly dosed medications made under the best conditions are the best options for combating the many diseases of public health significance that tend to threaten the fragile healthcare of this nation.
Now, I would not want to act as the custodian of knowledge and go on to trash the basic traditional treatment models, patterns, and dosage forms that have served as the template upon which the conventional forms of treatment are built and have continued to improve.
There are traditional dosage forms that have been proven effective, and I would not be disputing the fact. But when it comes to improving the collective health of the populace, some core interventions needs to be made. These combinations and preparations are so terribly made and they should not be consumed by humans.
These mixtures are often tagged in different ways. There are "Jedi," "Ata," and many other phony names. Nigerians have come to trust these mixtures, thus creating a very dangerous trend for our health. A recent experience I once had, readily comes to mind. So, I was to make a short interstate trip, and on getting to the park and waiting for the bus to get filled up, I noticed the drivers had a plug for their hot drinks.
To my surprise, it was one of the women that carried an unidentified container; walking around telling people to patronize her. Inside one of the containers she carried, I noticed that she kept spooning out a slimy liquid and selling to the drivers. Well, my best guess at the time was maybe this was Okro.
But what on earth could okro be doing inside all of these? Another was the dude at the junction close to my house, who boldly displayed different bottles and tagged their contents to be useful for all sorts of ailments.
Malaria, Low sperm count, watery sperm, Staphylococcus, amongst others. This is also a separate category from those who come to our neighborhoods advertising all sorts of substances for different maladies.
It is mostly "Jedi" and "Kokoro inu eje" with these folks. Now come to think of it, where are the regulatory agencies in all of these? Who certifies the medications that the general populace have access to? Who ensures that drugs are considered fit for use before it floods the market?
Then, are we forgetting our Instagram marketers? They said if you have a phone, you should be able to fact-check claims, right? But I have noticed this is not the case for a lot of us. These formulations do not come cheap, but we are in a country that only if the subject is expensive, then it has to be worth it. Just because many of us are ignorant on that level, many unregistered folks smile to the bank every day.
The tummy slimming teas, the breast and penis enlargement creams, the teas they tell you "Flushes" your system, the butt enlargement creams, and that "Agbo" they sell to you and say it would make you last longer as a man are all lies. They do not work, creams, and if you are bent on buying them, you are only doing more harm than good to yourself.
And for those in the high-end areas, you know the intravenous vitamins and the infusions they sell you at such crazy prices, they don't do nada for your overall health. You are only overloading your body system and probably making your kidneys do more work because you will be peeing all day. I can bet you have a better deal checking into a hospital and taking normal saline.
At this point, I would be adopting a three-step approach to discussing the topic of this writing. First, I will be making some postulates as to why there is the increased use of untested preparations to combat common ailments, the disadvantages of the continued use of these preparations, and finally, possible solutions for the Nigerian healthcare sector in the long run.
When it comes to the use of "Agbo," because they are traditionally made, it does not mean they are safe from the adverse effects that might be dangerous to your health in the long run. As a pharmacist, I have noticed the trust in these concoctions. It is common to hear patients ask you. "Pharm, would I be on these meds all my life?" "Are there no herbal remedies you can advise me to get that would resolve my symptoms?"
This increased trust in the traditional dosage forms, might be due to many reasons. There is a lack of awareness for a start. Many of us do not know the damage Agbo can do to our bodies. Because the ingredients are sourced from around us, and that we can name the leaves in a drink does not mean it is friendly. That they are bitter does not mean they are effective.
The bitters you are probably taking due to peer pressure don't do you any good. I have never gotten the idea behind those. There is a trending story of one that was tested on mice and it snuffed life out of the poor animal. This is similar to what many of us buy and ingest. How is this even right? We definitely play too much for a country with a fast-collapsing healthcare sector.
They have been in existence for years. They are easy to access and cheap, and we cannot deny that they are effective in certain contexts. But in recent times, they have been linked to the rising cases of acute kidney injuries and kidney failures. As I mentioned, they are at risk adulteration, contamination, misidentification, and a lack of standardization. I bet a lot of people do not know that the effectiveness attributed to "Agbo" in some instances is because the conventional medications have been dissolved in them.
Our healthcare sector is not developing at a comparable rate to cope with the increased burden these concoctions are about to start causing. No one is talking about the possibility of these formulations being contaminated with heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, which can cause even more lethal damage. At this point, we might have to start shifting focus to building dialysis centers all around the country. And just in case you want to know, dialysis sessions do not come cheap, not to mention the end result of the sufferer needing a kidney transplant.
These herbal forms do not come in the form of drinks alone; they come as liquids alone. Some come as creams to be applied on the skin, others as powders, and some are brewed as a tea. So there are different angles to consider. In some instances, there is the possibility of liver damage (Hepatotoxicity), heart damage (Cardiotoxicity), and even brain damage. That these products are natural does not mean they are safe. I cannot stress this enough.
That they can be easily gotten, and cheap does not mean they are perfect for your health. The pills at the hospital contain only the active ingredients you need. They contain only what is useful for the condition you have been diagnosed with. In terms of herbal formulations, there is little to no regulation, and you might be ingesting many safe and unsafe substances.
Some individuals even use these herbal formulations with their orthodox medications. Typical Nigerian mentality; the goal is to "Hit" the offending microbes so well that it regrets coming for you. But we can only wish it works this way. The prevalence of Agbo is fast becoming a pandemic. So what can be done to salvage the situation?
An investment into the existing healthcare structures in the country would go a long way. These investments must be made in the public health care centers closest to the people. Improving access to good healthcare facilities, services and provisions are important to discourage the production of substandard treatment alternatives.
You can never trash the place of awareness. A larger proportion of the populace needs to be aware of the inherent dangers of consuming terribly made concoctions and traditional formulations that have not been certified by regulatory authorities. Ignorance is bliss, but ignorance is dangerous in this situation. There is a need for more public health education to be done.
Traditional health institutions need to take up the responsibility. This should be done by embarking on programs that sanitize the system and rid it of folks only looking to make quick cash, thus endangering the health of the general populace in the long run. There should be means to standardize traditional dosage forms so purity levels are increased and we have a quality alternative treatment medications on the market.
Lastly, there are a lot of unregulated products in the market; many of these items keep selling through the relentless marketing of their manufacturers. They keep spreading through word of mouth, and their activities in the market must be curbed. There is a need for more to be done, so we only have registered products on the market. This can be done, and if we fail to do this, we will have ourselves to blame in the long run.
Very insightful!
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