Agona Nsaba (Central Region) 22 Jan. '98

Nana Konadu, an executive member of the Ghana Psychic and traditional healers association, has called on the government to give priority attention to the development of herbal medicine. She said if research centres are provided and incentives are given to herbalists, such initiatives could help reduce the importation of orthodox drugs. Nana Konadu who is also a fetish priestess, made the call at a meeting with members of the association of Agona Nsaba at the weekend. She called on the Ministry of health to give adequate motivation and incentives to practitioners of herbal medicine to enable them to intensify their research into herbal medicine to enhance health care delivery. Nana Konadu known in private life as Madam Efua Twimasiwaah, claimed that through her research into herbal medicine, she had been able to cure 11 AIDS patients seven females and 4 males, who were brought from Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria, suspected to be practicing prostitution. She renewed her call on herbalists to refer cases beyond their capabilities to the hospitals. Nana Konadu urged the sector Ministry to organise regular training and seminars for herbalists to facilitate the development of health services. The association called on orthodox medicine practitioners to team up with herbalists to raise the standard of health care delivery in the country. gri