The Kenyan plant specialist making the case for traditional African medicine

Martin Odhiambo has at all times been within the therapeutic properties of vegetation – and for years has been enthusiastically sharing that information with fellow Kenyans.

Each Thursday at an amphitheatre on the Nairobi Nationwide Museum, he talks to dozens of people that have come to be taught and change details about conventional drugs.

Regardless of worries over the efficacy and security of those remedies, it’s estimated that round 80% of individuals in African international locations depend on them when they’re in poor health, based on the World Well being Group (WHO).

One method to allay security issues in Kenya could be for the authorities to discover a method to oversee conventional drugs, as occurs in another international locations.

However for now Mr Odhiambo is eager to let others learn about plant cures he believes can cope with frequent diseases, reminiscent of colds, pores and skin circumstances and abdomen upsets.

He argues that lengthy earlier than the onset of standard drugs, there have been conventional healers who knew from these earlier than them what was good for treating which situation.

The knowledge exists inside communities, however does probably not journey additional.

Mr Odhiambo works for the Belief for Indigenous Tradition and Well being (Ticah), which has shaped a partnership with the museum, seen as a repository of the nation’s cultural heritage.

There he takes care of a particular backyard, often known as a physic backyard, which has greater than 250 species of medicinal vegetation – they don’t seem to be on the market however for training.

For years, Mr Odhiambo has studied medicinal vegetation – the scientific analysis in addition to speaking to the individuals who use them – absorbing a lot folklore and indigenous information that he says he now has “an inclination to dream about vegetation”.

At certainly one of his Weekly Plant Talks, he sounds professorial, imparting his huge information to all gathered – together with herbalists, a midwife coming from the US, a psychologist, a trainer, a college pupil and a businesswoman.

The discuss begins with a prayer and a recap of what was learnt the earlier week, after which rapidly strikes on to the vegetation of the day.

The preliminary focus is on Lantana camara – a typical shrub that has completely different native names together with “nyabende” and “mukige”.

Historically, it’s mentioned to deal with complications in addition to ease toothaches – and might act as an insect repellent. Plus its twigs can be utilized as a toothbrush .

It additionally brings “good vibes and creates constructive power”, a participant says.

Because the assembly continues, folks focus on, share and find out about a complete vary of plant cures for various well being issues.

Additionally they discuss in regards to the cultural contexts during which the vegetation are used reminiscent of in conventional rites, meals preservation and even their mystic powers that instil “goodwill” inside a neighborhood.

This discussion board just isn’t used to debate scientific analysis and whether or not the claims will be confirmed in a managed experiment.

“We don’t validate this info,” says Vitalis Ochieng, Ticah’s senior programme supervisor, emphasising that the purpose is for folks to share what they know.

The organisation’s key mandate is to point out the worth of conventional drugs and amplify the voices of those that follow it, he provides.

One of many issues hampering the broader adoption of conventional drugs in Kenya is that there isn’t a authorities coverage encouraging its secure use.

Mr Ochieng argues that indigenous information could possibly be the idea for scientific analysis, including that in international locations like China, conventional drugs is accepted and even exported as “various drugs”.

He’s campaigning for conventional medicines to be regulated and standardised in Kenya, laws that has been within the works for a number of years.

For the time being so-called “natural clinics”, many promoting poor high quality cures, have given conventional drugs a foul title, one thing consultants within the East African nation acknowledge.

There have been issues with fraudsters, in addition to the deliberate or unintended contamination of the merchandise, says Dr Ruth Nyangacha, the deputy director of Centre for Conventional Drugs Analysis (CTMDR) – a authorities company that advises the well being ministry on conventional drugs.

She tells the BBC that is particularly dangerous for sufferers with continual circumstances, reminiscent of diabetes, as they usually flip to those cures, partly due to price but additionally as they’re simpler to pay money for in distant areas.

At her first plant discuss on the museum, businesswoman Joyce Ng’ang’a says she turned to conventional drugs as she discovered standard remedy had not helped her situation.

Actually the medication she was prescribed after her prognosis with continual abdomen acid reflux disorder eight years in the past had had uncomfortable side effects like making her forgetful.

Even a visit to India for therapy had not helped – which is why she says she sought out natural cures.

“I’ve by no means discovered a motive to return to them,” she enthused, referring to the traditional drugs she has now deserted.

It’s a plan of action that medical doctors wouldn’t suggest over security issues, however Ms Ng’ang’a says she hopes her expertise will imply conventional natural therapies will finally turn out to be formalised.

Herbalist Patrick Mwathi attends the plant talks almost each week – wanting to enhance his craft. He has been practising for many years, studying first-hand from his father within the Seventies.

He develops and sells natural merchandise regionally – a few of which he shares with others on the lecture, together with a “natural tea” with packaging that claims it could possibly support infertility. It may possibly additionally “detox” and “activate” the kidney and “cleanse” the liver, he says.

One other product is claimed to deal with despair.

Such remedies haven’t been scientifically confirmed to be efficient and Ticah encourages herbalists to register and work with the authorities to formalise their cures.

Mr Mwathi has taken samples to authorities laboratories for chemical evaluation – and so they have handed checks to point out they’re are efficient and never dangerous.

However the course of required to get a product to market – together with standardisation and high quality management – is lengthy and includes many authorities companies. Like different conventional practitioners he lacks the money and time to do that.

Dr Nyangacha explains that among the challenges embrace realizing when the energetic elements of cures expire – noting that it usually comes right down to “guesswork”.

The CTMDR, a unit of the federal government’s Kenya Medical Analysis Institute (Kemri), doesn’t have the funding to get the natural cures they check for efficacy authorised for standard use.

However there isn’t a motive it couldn’t be carried out, Dr Nyangacha argues, stating that Kemri has developed its personal merchandise, together with a natural drugs used within the therapy of genital herpes and a salt that’s used for hypertension.

“Now we have real ones and conventional drugs [that], I have to say, works.”

Mr Odhiambo wants no convincing – in truth he hopes his ardour for vegetation will present Kenyans that frequent diseases will be handled with out suspicion utilizing cures “like within the olden days”.