Sunyani, March 3, GNA – The Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR) at Akuapem-Mampong in the Eastern Region has trained 150 herbalists in the Bono Region for high quality and standard plant medicine production.
The participants, both male and females, at the two-day education and capacity-building workshop, which commenced on Thursday in Sunyani, were introduced to stringent measures and requirements by the CPMR before herbal medicinal products could be certified and approved.
They were educated and sensitised on plants and their scientifically approved medicinal properties, green environment preservation methods, scientific names of plants, indication on labels and manufacturing environment.
Other areas included required manufacturing tools and equipment, utensils, right sources of raw plant materials, raw materials gathering processes, personal hygiene, microbial infection and contamination, appropriate way of bottling, packaging and product preservatives and application.
In an opening remark, Dr Kofi Bobi Barimah, the Acting Executive Director, CPMR, said the training, among other objectives, was to ensure plant medicinal products were of high quality and efficacious to improve the plant medicine industry to contribute to boosting Ghana’s economic growth.
He said before herbal medicine could be certified and approved, the CPMR would conduct thorough study regarding medicinal properties such as toxicity and microbiology to authenticate plant nature to determine its suitability for human consumption.
Dr. Barimah emphasised only best and safety measures for plant medicine produce were accepted by the Centre to ensure no quack herbal medicines were sold to the public.
Mrs Susana Oteng Mintah, a Microbiologist at the CPMR, in a presentation cautioned plant medicine manufacturers to desist from cooking medicine in silver and iron-made utensils.
Mrs Mintah explained utensils made of iron, copper and tin contained heavy metals which are poisonous and dangerous to human health.
She encouraged the use of only clay, stainless steel and ceramic pots for medicine preparation.
Mrs Mintah entreated plant medicine manufacturers to ensure proper treatment and storage of raw materials and products to prevent microbial contamination.
Adulteration of medicine is a criminal offence, Mrs. Mintah stated and urged plant medicine manufacturers to seek experts’ advice before applying preservatives because they could be dangerous and harmful if misapplied.
Mr Tonny Asafo-Agyei, a Botanist at the Plant Development Department of the CPMR, expressed worry that forests and green environments were depleting at a very fast rate because of population growth and human activities.
As a result, he said, the country was losing its forest cover and advised plant medicine manufacturers to as part of their jobs consider the cultivation of medicinal plants to protect the green environment and sustainability of their businesses.
Dr Jibril Alhassan Konate, the Bono Regional Vice Chairman, Ghana Association of Traditional Healers, later in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, expressed the hope that the in-depth knowledge acquired through the training would enhance their capacities to produce internationally accepted standard plant medicines.
GNA