Koforidua, Oct 28, GNA - Practitioners of herbal medicine in the Eastern Region have appealed to the Government to ensure that the cost of testing the efficacy and quality of traditional medicines at the various research institutions are made affordable.

They contended that many of them have drugs for various diseases, including HIV/AIDS, but cannot make them known because they cannot afford 560,000 cedis for the test at the Mampong Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (MCSRIPM).

The Herbal Practitioners also called on the research institutions to lecture them on their findings and to show them how to preserve their medicines for longer shelf life.

They made the appeal on Monday at a forum as part of Traditional Medicine Day at the one-week Cultural Festival at Koforidua, organised by the Regional Centre for National Cultural (CNC).

The Deputy Director of MCSRIPM, Dr Archie Sittie, said lack of education, unhealthy and undesirable harvesting practices, are inimical to the sustainable use of the nation's biological resources, which "will certainly undermine the growth and development of the herbal medicine industry".

He urged the practitioners to shift their attention from only developing the industry and attracting big markets to ensuring conservation, increased cultivation and promoting good harvesting methods to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

Dr Sittie expressed concern about the springing up of "mushroom manufacturers," saying, individuals with little or no knowledge in the basic rudiments of manufacturing have now become key players in the industry.

He advised the Practitioners to form co-operatives to enable them to purchase manufacturing plants and engage qualified Pharmacists and Technicians to "produce herbal medicines under license for use by the general public and also supply these to the practitioners for use in their respective clinics".

Dr Melville George of the World Health Organisation stressed the need to restore the pride and effective use of traditional medicine. He called for the empowerment of African children through awareness creation to develop the right attitude towards the use of traditional medicine, to promote and sustain the well being of the people.