Health

There’s Enough Research Into Alternate Medicine To Prove Its Efficacy – Amodu

Published

5 months ago

May 14, 2025

By Dauda Ismail

Professor Benjamin Amodu has refuted the notion that there is limited research work done in the field of alternative medicine to prove it’s efficacy and for its standardisation.

He said contrary to that notion, several research works have been done across the globe in that field.

Speaking of his personal research works done under his Halamin Herbals, he said: “With our 38 years in this field, we have generated a lot of research in alternative medicine. As I speak to you, we currently have 39 publications in very high impact medical journals.”

Supporting his claim, he said further: “My work with Professor Emeje on SABMAL, was investigated across the 156 Commonwealth countries to see if it was copied from any previous work, but it was discovered and subsequently certified to be original to us, and this product is domiciled in South Africa.

‘So I don’t think anybody has any reason to hide under the notion that there’s limited work done in this field in terms of research publications for its standardisation.”

He then went on to try to prove the efficacy of alternative medicine. “There are areas like Parkinson’s disease where even the World Health Organisation, WHO, is yet to find a way to go about the treatment, but where we already have publications showing that our combination of about four of our products that can be used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease which our patients are already using with profound results. So I think we are doing very well.

“Also, in the area of heart enlargement, we have had cases where patients were to be sent to India for open heart surgery, but they commenced our medication while still awaiting their due dates, and the situation got resolved without any surgery.

“Would you then still want to pretend that issues of that nature can be resolved without the patients going under the knife even if it’s half a patient you get? But in my own case, I’ve had over twenty patients whose enlarged hearts returned to normal without surgery and with no issues.”

Amodu who is a professor of phytomedicine from the Triune Biblical University, USA, has been at the forefront of the promotion of the use of alternative medicine over conventional medicine as it has been found to have very minimal or no side effects at all.

He has had had successes in the cure of various deadly diseases like hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, liver cancer, chronic kidney disease and many more.

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Health

Experts call for pharma sector harmonisation

Published

2 months ago

August 14, 2025

The Gleamer

Health sector experts have called for the harmonisation of pharmaceutical activities in Nigeria to eliminate duplication, enhance efficiency, and improve access to quality medicines and health products.

The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement focused on aligning efforts under the Improving Access to Medicines through Policy and Technical Support (IMPACT) project.

Dr Tayo Hamzat, Supply Chain Management Officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said the engagement was timely, considering the number of ongoing but uncoordinated interventions in the sector.

“Harmonisation will lead to faster access to health products, lower costs, improved efficiency, and better regulatory oversight.

“It requires collaboration and a focus on strengthening national systems.”

He described Nigeria’s pharmaceutical system as “robust and huge” but hindered by weak coordination and fragmented management structures.

Dr Francis Ohanyido, Director-General of the West Africa Institute of Public Health, said such collaboration was “common sense” given limited development financing and the need to optimise resources.

“Market shaping is a critical tool.
“Harmonisation can help us identify clear gaps we need to fill, especially in preparation for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he said.

Dr Anthony Ayeke, Programme Manager for Health and Nutrition at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting a resilient, locally driven pharmaceutical sector.

“Harmonisation can accelerate local production, reduce import dependency, and improve healthcare system resilience,” he noted.

He also recommended regulatory streamlining, value chain capacity building, innovation, and public-private partnerships.

Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Pharmaceutical Value Chain Transformation Committee (PVAC), commended ongoing efforts under the IMPACT project.

Represented by Dr Muhammad Balarabe, Technical Associate at PVAC, he emphasised the committee’s focus on catalysing local production and attracting sustainable investment.

“Let’s use this platform to strengthen partnerships and align interventions with the vision of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Nigerians,” he said.

Dr Obi Adigwe, Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), said fragmented interventions and redundant regulations had long stunted growth in the sector.

Represented by Prof. Philip Builders, Professor of Pharmaceutics at NIPRD he said: “Equitable access to quality medicine is the foundation of universal healthcare.

“The lack of access is not just a health issue; it’s about equity, national security, and economic survival.

“Harmonisation isn’t just about avoiding duplication; it’s about aligning policy, investment, and technical frameworks to achieve measurable results.”

He urged stakeholders to develop practical short, medium, and long-term strategies to make Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector self-reliant, globally competitive, and able to meet national healthcare demands.

The meeting brought together key government agencies, development partners, and private sector actors, each reaffirming a shared commitment to a unified, efficient pharmaceutical ecosystem in Nigeria.

NAN

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