Using herbal medicine to wipe out poverty via innovation

Herbal medicine is a part of alternative treatment methods, which involves the use of different parts of plants. These include the leaves, stem, fruits, seeds, flower and roots with medicinal properties. BINTA SHAMA encounters a Lagos-based expert who provides some insight into this innovation
When critically describing herbal medicine, asides being an important and significant part of alternative medicine where medicinal properties of the plants are from chemical compounds that are naturally found in the plants. These chemicals are the nutrients that make up deficiencies of the chemicals when they are introduced into the body. Herbal medicine can be used as preventive and curative.
It is important to note that these herbs are essentially the vegetables that are consumed on a daily basis. If we consume them with intention of preventing disease(s) then food would indeed have become our medicine and medicine our food.
Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world. Indeed, it has been very well studied and documented in some countries of the world.
For example, in Africa, different countries have for a long time used all sorts of herb for the treatment of different types of diseases.
Analysis shows that herbal medicine in Nigeria lacking appropriate documentation has led to very poor patronage from citizens. Practitioners all over the country have died not having recorded the knowledge of Herbal medicine for descendants.
Herbal medicine has been practiced and used for the treatment of numerous ailments for centuries.
Nature has blessed humanity with a huge number of different herbs, Laden with tremendous amount of medicinal properties that can be deployed for the treatment and prevention of different ailments.
The rate at which Herbal medicine has been increasing in popularity is to say the least, alarming. Also, it is important to note that this popularity of herbal medicine as it is today is backed by concrete evidence and testimonies.

The Innovator
I am Prof. Emmanso Umobong, I attended Asanting Methodist Primary School, Akwa Ibom State, Federal Government College, Kaduna; (My Primary and Secondary Certificates were all distinctions.) University of Ibadan, 1986; Nigerian College Of Natural Medicines- Lagos (coordinated by Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency), Open International University Of Alternative Medicine- India; Arizona Centre for Integrative Medicine, National College Of Natural Medicines- Lagos (professional training school by the Nigeria Council Of Physicians Of Natural Medicine/National Association Of CAM Practitioner.
I have MB .BS. (Bachelor’s of Medicine and Bachelors of Surgery). Post Graduate Diploma in Natural Medicine, B.Sc. (Naturopathy), MSc. (Herbal Medicine), Certified In Integrative Medicine, Professional Doctorate In African Medicines.

His Inventions
My innovations include scientific family planning rings, female hormones balancers and diabetes (work in progress) control. I am involved in development of therapeutic organo-metals. This means a product from s chemical combination of s metal with plant or animal material for healing purposes.
The motivation to research sickle cell remedies drew from my medical school experience with a classmate who had sickle cell anaemia. I have never met a nobler soul! He suffered a lot due to sickle cell crisis; in fact we always prayed fervently for him because the great stress of medical school made it appear as if he might die the next minute. Nothing could be done to really prevent his crisis. It made me think that it was a neglected condition since it is predominantly a black man’s problem to be solved by a black man I included.
My sickler friend did graduate and went on to become one of the foremost Haematologists with outstanding expertise in Sickle cell care. His co authored a very influential book with a professor of sickle cell.
Sadly his book considered herbal medicines as snake oil. He furthered his studies abroad! He died at 49 years a victim of white man’s deceit! May his soul rest in peace.

Treatment for Sickle Cell victims
It is important to note that there are safe effective herbal remedies for care of sicklers. For instance I have here with me SICKLAX a herbal tea that prevents all forms of sickle cell crises. It also reverses crisis quickly if it has already occurred.
You boil one teabag only and drink every three days. Compare that to the best Orthodox medicine that is taken three times a day for life. It prevents and reverses sickle cell crisis with no side effects. It is safe for all ages and pregnant women.

Support by FG
The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has given me some support for the development and commercialization of SICK LAX. We already have a factory in place to meet the demand which is why we want people to know about this simple but effective beverage or tea that is of immense benefit to the health of sicklers. There is no doubt that we can offer this product as tablet or capsules but I encourage sufferers to prefer the tea for it requires water thus helping hydrate the sicklers.

Benefits of the product
(Sicklax ) for You as a Sickler Are:

1) You will no more have your blood cells sickling.
2) No more breakdowns of your red blood cells.
3) No more injuries to the inner walls of your blood vessels.
4) No more painful expressions that disrupt your lives. You begin to live a normal life like non Sicklers.
5) It gives you the necessary strength and vitality to face the tasks of each day. You will no longer feel weak and tired all the day.
6) As your social relationships improve, so does your performance at work for adults. Those who are in school excel.
7) Family or personal finances improve because you safe on medical expenses that would have been expended on crisis management.
8) With better health you stand a chance to earn better.
9) Even your sexual life will pick up a new meaning and bring you greater fulfilment.
10) It gives you a chance to live out the full length of your life without the fear of premature death.

Sicklax affordable to purchase
How much do you think a product that offers all these should cost?
Did I tell you the plant is difficult to find because for many decades it was actively destroyed since it is considered a bad weed?
That is why the packaging and price of this tea is different from the common teas in the market! Don’t fret. It does not cost you an arm. For five thousand naira a month you can avail yourself of this tea that comes with a bonus pack of our very potent blood builder tea, value: N2000.00. Yours free for using SICKLAX.
But this bonus is available to the first hundred readers of this magazine who take advantage of this offer.

African Risk Capacity partners mathematical institute
The African Risk Capacity (ARC) and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences – Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI) held an inception meeting at ARC Agency Offices in Johannesburg as part of their framework agreement to work together towards promoting innovation and assisting AU member states to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters and extreme weather events. DAVID AGBA reports
Aim of meeting
The objective of the meeting was to discuss, first hand, the feasibility of developing a certification programme, and implementing an internship programme and support to Research and Development which are components of activities contained in an already existing AIMS-NEI / ARC partnership agreement.
Earlier, in March 2018, the African Risk Capacity and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences entered into a formal partnership agreement to foster innovation through scientific learning and problem solving aimed at helping African countries better respond to natural disasters and climate change.

A pan African centre
Established in 2003, the AIMS-NEI is a pan African network of Centres of Excellence for postgraduate training, research and public engagement in mathematical sciences that enables Africa’s brightest students to become problem solvers and innovators that propel scientific, educational and economic self-sufficiency.
Speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of African Risk Capacity, Mohamed Beavogui, paid tribute to the founders of the AIMS-NEI,and reaffirmed the resolve of African Union to pursue home-grown solutions for climate and other natural disaster problems facing the continent. He indicated that the Africa RiskView, the tool deployed by the ARC, is the leading tool for drought risk management on the continent. We are also going into flood modelling, outbreaks and epidemics and we need high-quality continuous research to develop the requisite insurance tools.

The intension
He said: “The intention of the African Union in establishing the African Risk Capacity is to protect its vulnerable population from the costly impacts of natural disaster risks. In addition to pooling financial resources, this requires scientific research and innovation to work. Our partnership with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences connects us with the continent’s top existing scientists and those in the making.”
To effectively deliver on its mission and stay abreast of cutting edge knowledge and best practices, ARC needs a progressive pool of African experts,as well as partnerships with other global actors, on risk modelling, actuarial sciences, insurance, disasters management, and pathogen modelling.

The AIMS-NEI network
The AIMS-NEI has an extensive network of technical and professional expertise, know-how and facilities to conduct research and develop solutions that respond to industry objectives, including ARC’s goal to catalyse a better risk management system for Africa and provide the capacity building support required to implement such a system.
In his remarks, Mr. Moulaye Camara – Managing Director of Operations, AIMS-NEI Global Network, lauded the African Risk Capacity and its leadership for the innovative and trailblazing work they are doing towards helping Africa become weather risk and natural disaster resilient.
He said: “Mathematical sciences, he said, underlies every modern technology and its application is found in every field. Considering that Africa, will be home to 40 per cent of the world’s youth (18 and under) by 2050, investing in mathematical sciences is critical to drive the continent’s development forward. This requires collaborations with like-minded institutions and persons; hence our goal in partnering with ARC in its mission to create cutting-edge pan-African natural disaster response systems to help governments in protecting the livelihoods of their vulnerable populations.”

Africa’s centre of excellence
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), is Africa’s first network of centres of excellence in mathematical sciences. It was established to enable the continent’s youth to shape the continent’s future through Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education.

ARC as a model
The African Risk Capacity model is home-grown, innovative, cost-effective, and is proving that it can assist member-states to strengthen their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters, thereby achieving the food security for their populations.
ARC consists of ARC Agency and ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd). ARC Agency was established in 2012 as a Specialised Agency of the African Union to help Member States improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to weather-related disasters. ARC Ltd is a mutual insurance facility providing risk transfer services to Member States through risk pooling and access to reinsurance markets; it is owned by Member States with active insurance policies as well as KfW Development Bank and the UK Department of International Development (DfiD), as capital contributors.
With the support of the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, France, The Rockefeller Foundation and the United States, ARC assists AU member states in reducing the risk of loss and damage caused by extreme weather events affecting Africa’s populations by providing, through sovereign disaster risk insurance, targeted responses to natural disasters in a more timely, cost-effective, objective and transparent manner. ARC is now using its expertise to help tackle some of the other greatest threats faced by the continent, including outbreaks and epidemics.

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