Editorial
Herbal medicine producers must build capacity
Dear Editor,
IN recent times, herbal medicines, which used to be what most of our older folks relied on to cure their diseases seems to be losing their relevance.
This has been due to the emergence of orthodox medicines.
Although some are of the view that orthodox medicines are more effective than herbal medicines, I believe herbal medicines could still be relied upon.
What has also contributed to the dwindling fortunes of herbal medicines is the poor standards.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has been doing its best to ensure that herbal medicines produced locally met the standards required as well as their approval by the Authority.
Furthermore, traditional and herbal medicine producers in the country have also complained about the lack of support from the government in promoting their products.
In my opinion, I think it is about time traditional and herbal medicine producers produce on a large scale to meet the growing demands of their markets, especially those that have been approved by the FDA.
What I have realised is that they don’t produce enough because they lack the resources.
Also, I think those that produce similar products can collaborate and produce on a large scale to meet the growing demand.
With that, health facilities can have access to these medicines in large quantities to complement the orthodox medicines that are available.
Once they are able to do this, the government will also take them more seriously and provide them with the needed support to produce on a large scale to boost the sector.
Cletus Amedeka,
Volta region
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
