FORT PORTAL – National Drug Authority [NDA] in partnership with Tooro Kingdom has trained more than 100 herbalists to ensure the production of safe herbal medicines.
According to the NDA public relations officer, Abiaz Rwamiru, early this year, NDA signed a memorandum of understanding with Tooro Kingdom to support herbalists in the kingdom.
Speaking days ago, during the capacity building training of herbalists at the kingdom chambers at Mucwa in Kabarole district, Rwamwiru said their aim is to ensure the delivery of safe herbal medicines on the market.
“The herbal medicine which is sourced from our environment has health risks if not handled well. These herbalists need to know this. We shall visit their gardens where they source these herbs because some of them have them in their gardens,” he said, adding that the quality of herbal medicines begins from the garden where they are harvested from.
He said the quality of the herbal medicines starts from the gardens where they are picked.
He said: “If you are to pick the leaves and you end up picking stems or shoots, you will end up with a contaminant. If you are using dangerous chemicals like pesticides, the residues will end up in your mixture and will cause unwanted effects to the consumers.”
Rwamwiru said the quality of herbal medicines is also compromised during the packaging and advertising where some herbalists send out wrong messages to the public.
He noted that as NDA, they have been sensitising the general public on where to get herbal medicines and are now sensitising the herbalists on quality issues.
“We are aware that over 60 percent of Ugandans who fall sick first use herbal medicine before going to seek medical attention from trained health personnel. We want to ensure that when this person goes to a pharmacy or clinic or herbalists themselves, they find the medicine that is safe for human consumption,” he said.
He however noted that as NDA, they have faced a challenge of herbalists sneaking to the market herbal medicines that have not been assessed, which puts public health at a high risk.
“As NDA, we want to look at the production process. There is a need for regulation since herbalists produce herbs in large quantities,” he said.
Jamil Mukwaya, the President of Uganda National Traditional Herbalists and Healers Association and a member on NDA board representing the herbal sector said sensitising traditional herbalists on the role of NDA will help streamline the activities of herbalists in Tooro district.
“We want to work with Tooro Kingdom and ensure that Tooro traditional herbalists come up with a specific product from this region. The environment of Tooro is friendly to herbal medicine but when you go to drug shops and pharmacies, all the medicines are made from Kampala which is a challenge we want to address,” he said.
The Tooro Kingdom minister of Health, Dr. Tito Beyeza said the kingdom will work together with NDA to improve herbal medicines and regulate herbalists.
He however noted that there is a need to invest in research if herbal medicines are to compete on the world market.
https://thecooperator.news/nda-partners-with-tooro-kingdom-to-curb-misuse-of-drugs/
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