A renowned Professor of Pharmacognosy and former Dean of Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan, Jones Olanrewaju Moody, has called on individuals to cultivate miniature gardens in their homes to foster the sustainability of African Traditional Medicines (ATM).
 
Professor Moody made this recommendation while speaking as a guest speaker at an online event hosted by the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba.
 
Speaking on the theme, “Herbal Medicine Sustainability for Optimal Health and Economic Development,” Moody urged people to actively engage in the preservation and advancement of herbal medicine by establishing mini gardens within their households.
 
“We all need to create mini gardens in our homes because many of our medicinal plants are disappearing, going extinct and for sustainable development, there must be a need to really keep them, otherwise future generations may not have anything that we call herbal medicines if everything goes extinct.
 
“Most of the plants are being shipped to the industrialised world and the impending danger posed is that we may not have all these in the nearest future. 
 
“Traditional and evidence-based knowledge, governance, institutions, sustainable equitable utilisation and climate change are all interacting together, there must be a balance so that we can have a framework where every sector is trying to balance the use, the benefits as well as to prevent complete spoilage of the ecosystem. We need all these so that there can be a balance,” he added.
 
The event marked the celebration of the 6th Annual African Traditional Medicine Day and featured prominent figures such as the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola; the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Gloria Abiodun Ayoola; the Head of the Department, Prof. Sunday Adesegun, as well as Prof. Glory Ajayi; Prof. Olukemi Odukoya; Dr. Joy Odimegwu, and Dr. Florence Nkemehule, among other distinguished participants.
 
Prof. Gloria Ayoola, who represented the Vice Chancellor, acknowledged the invaluable role of traditional medicines in human lives, recounting her own fascination when she learned that her aunt had utilised traditional medicines as contraceptives. She stressed that not all remedies fall under the category of “white man’s medicines,” referring to conventional pharmaceuticals.
   
“Traditional medicines have helped our lives, many of us have used or at least come into contact with someone who has used traditional medicines before, during the course of our lives.
 
“I became fascinated and curious about traditional medicines when an aunty of mine informed me that she used traditional medicines as contraceptives, at that time my mum was still bearing children, my mum eventually had ten of us.”

So, I was curious about how my aunty was able to manage four and all her children were well placed. She told me emphatically in Yoruba language that not all medicines are about white man’s medicines. She referenced White Man’s medicines as conventional medicines.
 
Sunday provided insights into herbal medicine in Africa, discussing its numerous advantages for the continent and highlighting concerns related to conservation.