Introduction
It looks like we have an unhealthy relationship with biodiversity. There are the elements of codependency, manipulation and negligence between the two of us. Let me explain…. Our biodiversity is a garden that we are responsible for tending to and what we put in is what we will get out. The human population mirrors the state of the environment because the two are interconnected. Unfortunately, we have not been giving our garden the attention it deserves and we have contaminated its soil and water, polluted its air, limited its growth due to overpopulation and have manipulated so many parts of it that its face has almost become unrecognizable. A power struggle has been created between resources and habitants of the Earth. “By disrupting ecosystem function, biodiversity loss leads to ecosystems that are less resilient, more vulnerable to shocks and disturbances, and less able to supply humans with needed services” (Alves,2007). Traditional medicine has a very codependent relationship with biodiversity and in order for it to be as effective as it can be, the state of our lands must improve significantly.
Background
Traditional medicine is a very holistic approach to health. It is defined as “Health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being” (Fokunang,2011). Cultural context is also a very big factor in how the practice is administered. The focus of my project was on the continent of Africa but I also referenced TM practices in Asia and India because they are also very known for their holistic approaches to health. Over the years there have been reports that state there has been contamination on a large scale of herbal medicine materials and increased rates of noncompliance with modern medicine among populations that solely use traditional medicine (Suellen Li, 2020). There is a disconnect occurring in traditional medicine between the land, the healing and the evolution of reality. Traditional medicine was not curated for an environment under crisis. The people who partake in TM practices can benefit from also being open to other routes to health if they are presented. Biodiversity loss reduces the supplies of raw materials for drug discovery and biotechnology, leads to a loss of medical models, influences the spread of human diseases, and threatens food production and water quality (Alves, 2007). We’ve compromised nature’s pharmacy and as a result, we are leaving many people sick with less resources available to help cure the problem.
Why does this matter?
It is very important to keep the practice of Traditional medicine alive through efforts to rebuild and salvage our biodiversity because for many, it is their only route to healthcare. “Similar to our findings in Ghana and India, others have found that those of a lower socio-economic status, who were unemployed, lived in rural areas and reported low health status were more likely to report use of traditional healers” (Oyebode, 2016). Besides the issue of SES, accessibility to doctors because of availability and proximity is another reason why many turn to TMPs.
Table 1: Sample ratio of THPs compared with the ratio of medical doctors to the population.
Source: Chatora, (2003:5).
The Table above is a great depiction of the substantial differences between accessibility to MDs and TMPs in Africa. Another large issue is that as biodiversity suffers, Traditional medicine is caught in the crossfire and is losing its place in society. Traditional medicine products deserve and require a political, regulatory and economic environment, which will assist with local production of goods. Nigerian officials have acknowledged that a governmental backing for traditional medicine will help increase the respect and support both socially and financially (AfroWHO, 2018). There is a lack of respect for TM down to the spiritual spots and sacred places used to practice. Healers are being run out of their environments and taking their knowledge with them (Anyinam, 1995). Since traditional medicine is passed down from generation to generation, it is vital that TMP are not run out, silenced or belittled because they hold knowledge that is useful to everyone, including people who solely use modern medicine.
Approach/Methods
I interviewed two physicians who have both been practicing medicine for more than twenty-five years. The reason I wanted a certain amount of time under each of their belts was because I wanted to ensure they’ve watched the changes occur in medicine within a span of two decades. “The past 20 years of disease outbreaks could be viewed as a series of near-miss catastrophes, which have led to complacency rather than the increased vigilance necessary to control outbreaks” (Scott, 2020). Given that the past several outbreaks have occurred within the past twenty years due to environmental issues all while they were practicing, they’ve seen the effects of environmental degradation on human health. Both physicians started their careers in Nigeria and then later immigrated to the United states of America to practice medicine. Dr. Chiedu Nchekwube is one of the physicians that were interviewed. He specializes in integrative and family medicine, which I found to be a great perspective on this matter because he’s trained to see both sides of the coin. Dr. Olusegun Apata is a pulmonologist, internist, critical care and sleep specialist. I found his vantage point on the topic useful because he grew up using elements of traditional medicine because of his family’s SES. I came up with three questions to ask both of them to have a set reference point. I didn’t want the whole interview to be extremely structured because I wanted more of a conversational dynamic to allow for the differences in their specialties to naturally come up. The three set questions were as followed:
- How did growing up in Nigeria influence your outlook on traditional medicine?
- What are some of the tradeoffs between modern and traditional medicine?
- How is the decline in Biodiversity impacting medicine as a whole and then specifically natural medicine?
Interviews
Dr. Olusegun Apata
- How did growing up in Nigeria influence your outlook on traditional medicine?
“I saw many people suffer from pain and even die from not having access to hospitals. Traditional medicine works until it doesn’t. I kept the elements I liked and left what I didn’t.”
- What are some of the tradeoffs between modern and traditional medicine?
“Traditional medicine has a holistic approach which is ideal but there is a lack of education and it depends too much on word of mouth. Many people show up to the hospital with chronic problems when it’s too late because they were set on using only TM. There is a lack of standardization within TM which makes the plan of care hard to regulate. Some of the herbs can be toxic if they aren’t taken in specified doses. Many people end up in the hospital because of all the natural remedies that went wrong because they were unsupervised.”
- How is the decline in Biodiversity impacting medicine as a whole?
“Many patients are deficient in vitamins and nutrients because their diets don’t provide enough nutrients to suffice and are inconsistent with taking supplements.”
Vital miscellaneous information:
“There is too much emphasis on religion in traditional medicine. Many people allow their pastors to take the place of their physician. My mother died a painful death from breast cancer because she sought out more spiritual counsel than medical counsel. The pastor’s plan of action was prayer but she needed medical attention. There is nothing wrong with incorporating religion, but one must pair it with seeking medical help.”
Dr. Chiedu Nchekwube
- How did growing up in Nigeria influence your outlook on traditional medicine?
“I actually wasn’t very exposed to TM when I was growing up. The demonization of herbalists deterred many people from going to see THPs. I went to find out about their methods when I grew older, but as a child I didn’t come into contact with it frequently.”
- What are some of the tradeoffs between modern and traditional medicine?
“It’s all about the context of the patient. TM is interchangeable with the term lifestyle medicine because for it to really work, one must alter several areas in their life. I suggest natural medicine remedies when a patient is willing to comply with all that it comes with, if they are not I direct them in the path of modern medicine. Natural medicine is more geared towards prevention and chronic diseases as it gets to the root of the problem and Western medicine is best for acute diseases.”
- How is the decline in Biodiversity impacting medicine as a whole and then specifically natural medicine?
“The soil of today is less packed with nutrients than it once was. So patients who try to have a diet that makes their meal their medicine, they usually have to take supplements along with it because there usually aren’t not enough nutrients in the produce of today.”
Vital miscellaneous information:
Question asked: what do you have to say to people who believe it takes longer to cure sickness with natural medicine vs modern medicine?
“That’s not necessarily true. For example, if someone is complaining about nausea I could either suggest taking meclizine which is the modern medicine route or I can suggest consuming raw ginger/ginger capsules as the natural remedy. Both methods take about the same amount of time to be effective.”
(I’ve condensed the interviews to be concise.)
Commonly known medicinal plants in Africa
Table 2 Some Phytomedicinals in the international market
Source: Adapted from Okigbo and Mmeka (2006: 86).
| Pictured above is Moringa leaf from outside of my family’s home in Nigeria. “Some nutritional evaluation has been carried out in leaves and stems. An important factor that accounts for the medicinal uses of Moringa oleifera is its very wide range of vital antioxidants, antibiotics and nutrients including vitamins and minerals. Almost all parts from Moringa can be used as a source for nutrition with other useful values” (Abdull Razis, 2014). |
| Pictured above are mango leaves that are very accessible to people in Nigeria. Mango leaves are known for various medicinal purposes. The whole tree has health benefits. The bark can be boiled in water and taken as a tea against diarrhea, yellow fever or used as a mouthwash to treat toothaches. The leaves can be boiled in water to make tea or taken as an extract to reduce fever. Also associated with treating diabetes and certain respiratory problems. (UTEP, 2017) |
| Pictured above is a photo of Neem leaves aka “Dongoyaro” leaves in Nigeria. This plant is known to help with the treatment of Malaria, leprosy, intestinal worms and many other diseases and disorders. (Olufunke, 2021) |
Limitations
A few challenges and limitations to studying biodiversity and traditional medicine are a lack of understanding of traditional medicine and their respective cultures, discrimination within different lands, declining interest in healing as a profession, and scarcity of resources in different countries. Generational knowledge is dying off which leads to the access to correct information to slowly disappear. Since healing isn’t considered to be an actual “profession” in many places, it’s harder to log the people who use it compared to how we have a census of patients who enter hospitals & access traditional medicine. Without the knowledge of how many people use it we can’t accurately tell how effective it is & its efficacy. There is a lack of evolution in traditional medicine and anything that doesn’t evolve dies off. It is vital for herbal goods, especially the ones made from a mixture of a few herbal products to have recent proof of efficacy. This includes any documentation required to support the indicated claims (WHO,2000). This is a limitation because methods that worked decades ago may not work for today given the state of our lands.
Conclusions
Traditional medicine is a pillar in the health industry as it set the tone for creating medications and different approaches to health. As time goes on, the amount of people tapped into the usage of herbal medicinal products and supplements has grown substantially. In fact, at least 80% of people worldwide rely on them for some part of primary health care (Ekor, 2014). With that being said, it is very important that we keep our environment in good shape to be able to accommodate the demand for traditional medicine. As the state of our biodiversity continues to decline, elements of TM such as herbal toxicity, accessibility and potency are being negatively impacted because the two are interconnected. For example, “One study of herbal medicines in Nigeria found that 100% of herbal medicine samples contained elevated amounts of heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and mercury” (Obi, 2006). Having excessive amounts of heavy metals in our bodies is never a good thing and since so many people are tapped in, that puts more people at risk. Herbs have been observed to produce a variation of unwanted or harmful results such as irreversible injuries, life-threatening conditions and sometimes even death. Several cases of poisoning have been reported in literature (Vanherweghem, 1998). This bad turn is also attributed to bad practices and administration of certain herbs. People must seek professional help and make sure they are taking the correct doses of natural products. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it can’t go left. As we fix our environmental issues to yield a better outcome for TM, we must also fix the issues within the TM practices like lack of standardization. Influences like religion and greater level of spiritual consciousness play a large role in the approach. Finding a happy medium between spirituality and scientific reasoning is necessary so that people are getting the best treatment they can get (Astin J. A.,1998). The future of medicine is heading towards an integrative approach so fixing the flaws in all areas will come together and make a more refined approach to health. Let’s have a healthier relationship with health, and it all starts by tending to our environment’s needs.
Works Cited
- Alves, R. R., & Rosa, I. M. (2007). Biodiversity, traditional medicine and public health: where do they meet?. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 3, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-3-14
- Fokunang, C. N., Ndikum, V., Tabi, O. Y., Jiofack, R. B., Ngameni, B., Guedje, N. M., Tembe-Fokunang, E. A., Tomkins, P., Barkwan, S., Kechia, F., Asongalem, E., Ngoupayou, J., Torimiro, N. J., Gonsu, K. H., Sielinou, V., Ngadjui, B. T., Angwafor, F., 3rd, Nkongmeneck, A., Abena, O. M., Ngogang, J., … Kamsu-Kom (2011). Traditional medicine: past, present and future research and development prospects and integration in the National Health System of Cameroon. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM, 8(3), 284–295. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajtcam.v8i3.65276
- Scott, John. “Biodiversity Loss Is Hurting Our Ability to Combat Pandemics.” World Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/biodiversity-loss-is-hurting-our-ability-to-prepare-for-pandemics/.
- “Minister of Health Assures Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Intellectual Property Rights .” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.afro.who.int/news/minister-health-assures-traditional-medicine-practitioners-intellectual-property-rights.
- Oyebode, O., Kandala, N. B., Chilton, P. J., & Lilford, R. J. (2016). Use of traditional medicine in middle-income countries: a WHO-SAGE study. Health policy and planning, 31(8), 984–991. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czw022
- Chatora R. ‘An Overview of the Traditional Medicine Situation in the African Region’ African Health Monitor. 2003;4(1):4–7.
- Okigbo R N, Mmeka E C. ‘An Appraisal of Phytomedicine in Africa’ KMITL Science and Technology Journal. 2006;6(2):83–94
- Abdullahi A. A. (2011). Trends and challenges of traditional medicine in Africa. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM, 8(5 Suppl), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5S.5
- Abdull Razis, A. F., Ibrahim, M. D., & Kntayya, S. B. (2014). Health benefits of Moringa oleifera. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 15(20), 8571–8576.
https://doi.org/10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.20.8571
10. “Herbal Safety.” UTEP, https://www.utep.edu/herbal-safety/herbal-facts/herbal%20facts%20sheet/african-mango.html.
11. Olufunke. “Nigeria’s Medicinal Plant: Azadirachta Indica (Dongoyaro).” Punch Newspapers, 25 July 2021, https://punchng.com/nigerias-medicinal-plant-azadirachta-indica-dongoyaro/.
12. Li, Suellen et al. “Traditional medicine usage among adult women in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.” BMC complementary medicine and therapies vol. 20,1 93. 20 Mar. 2020, https:/doi.org/0.1186/s12906-020-02881-z
13.Anyinam C. (1995). Ecology and ethnomedicine: exploring links between current environmental crisis and indigenous medical practices. Social science & medicine (1982), 40(3), 321–329.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(94)e0098-d
14. Bennett, Daniel. “The Tension between Traditional and Western Medicine.” USC Schaeffer, 29 Oct. 2019, https://healthpolicy.usc.edu/evidence-base/the-tension-between-traditional-and-western-medicine/.
15. Obi, E., Akunyili, D. N., Ekpo, B., & Orisakwe, O. E. (2006). Heavy metal hazards of Nigerian herbal remedies. The Science of the total environment, 369(1-3), 35–41.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.04.024
16. Ekor M. (2014). The growing use of herbal medicines: issues relating to adverse reactions and challenges in monitoring safety. Frontiers in pharmacology, 4, 177.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2013.00177
17.Astin J. A. (1998). Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national study. JAMA, 279(19), 1548–1553.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.279.19.1548
18. Timmermans K. (2003). Intellectual property rights and traditional medicine: policy dilemmas at the interface. Social science & medicine (1982), 57(4), 745–756.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00425-2
19. Vanherweghem, J. L., & Degaute, J. P. (1998). The policy of admission to the education in medicine and dentistry in the French-speaking community of Belgium. Acta clinica Belgica, 53(1), 2–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/17843286.1998.11754133
20 World Health Organization. (2000). General guidelines for methodologies on research and evaluation of traditional medicine (No. WHO/EDM/TRM/2000.1). World Health Organization.
Leave a Reply