According to practitioners, the current destruction of land and forests through illegal mining activities could negatively impact the herbal medicine practice unless urgent steps are taken to address it.

Head of the Herbal Medicine Department at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof. Bernard Kofi Turkson, says the right sourcing of raw materials is key to ensuring a high-quality herbal products.

“It is dangerous to pick plants from the roadside or just anywhere for your herbal product. If the plant is by the roadside, it may be polluted by exhaust fumes. If it is close to a water source which is contaminated, then it will also be affected,” he said.

Illegal mining has become widespread in Ghana, and most regions in the country are affected by the phenomenon, with thousands of forest cover being destroyed.

Research has revealed that the use of heavy metals in the illegality has threatened the environment.

Prof. Turkson has revealed that this could have a negative impact on the production of herbal medicines, hence the need to opt for a safe means of sourcing raw materials.

“The product might not cause any damage, but the contaminant present in the raw materials has the potential to do so,” he added.

According to the researcher, there should be a deliberate policy to drive large-scale cultivation of medicinal plants.

Hepa Plus Medicine Farm

The Hepa Plus Medicinal Farm has already been established by herbal medicine manufacturers, Ebenage Herbal, on a twenty-acre plot in the Ashanti Region.

Presently, the farm is the main source of raw materials for the production of Hepa Plus, Pavi, and Plasmos, which are produced by the company.

Founder of the group, Ebenezer Agyemang, explains that the difficulty in acquiring raw materials for production led to the establishment of the farm.

For five years, the farm was managed without agrochemicals, ensuring that raw materials are free from all contaminants.

Mr. Agyemang believes this system has helped sustain the quality being produced by Ebenage Herbal Consult.

“For many practitioners, it is very difficult to get raw materials free from contaminants, but the farm here offers us the best we need,” he said.

Malawi Researchers Commendation

A delegation of researchers from the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences has commended Ghana’s efforts in regulating the herbal medicine industry.

According to them, Ghana has made strides in regulating both the practice and practitioners in the field.

The system being operated locally is what the group seeks to replicate in their country, hence, understudying Ghana’s systems.

Through a partnership between the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and KNUST, a curriculum is being developed to train students in the herbal medicine practice in Malawi.

Leader of the delegation, Dr. John Mponda, emphasized that Ghana has advanced beyond many African countries in regulating herbal medicine products, regulating the practice and practitioners, and training competent personnel to support the sector.

As part of the visit, the team toured the production site and medicine farm of Ebenage Herbal Consult, who are partners with KNUST in the training of students in the field.

They expressed satisfaction with the standards at the facility.

Source: Nana Yaw Gyimah

The company has pioneered the Hepa Plus Research Awards, an annual event that provides funding for innovative undergraduate research.

The research awards have already yielded significant impact, with the first award-winning research being part of the University Entrepreneurial Product winning team that represented the institution at an international competition in Thailand.

At a ceremony to appreciate the impact of the investment, the Head of the Herbal Medicine Department, Prof. Isaac Kingsley Amponsah, and the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Samuel Asare Nkansah, presented a citation to the CEO of Ebenage Group, Ebenezer Agyemang.

The citation read: “Mr. Agyemang’s philanthropic investment transcends monetary value; it ignites innovation, validates student creativity, and bridges academia with industry. We celebrate your generosity and vision, trusting this partnership will flourish for years to come. Presented with gratitude and highest esteem.”

In appreciation, Mr. Agyemang expressed delight at the impact the awards have made so far, emphasizing the need to build upon research into herbal medicine.

The university’s Department of Herbal Medicine has extended an invitation to all practitioners to partner with the university to improve the industry.

About the Entrepreneurship Awards

To improve research in herbal medicine, Ebenage Group, producers of Hepa Plus Herbal Mixture partnered with the Department of Herbal Medicine at KNUST to introduce the Hepa Plus Research Awards for undergraduate students of herbal medicine.

The award scheme provides funding to winners of the competition for further research and commercialization.

Others who emerge among the top five students are given opportunities to improve their knowledge in the field.

Some researchers who get into the program are absorbed by Ebenage Group to be mentored and utilize their research.

Hepa Plus is one of the medicinal products manufactured by Ebenage Group, along with Pavi and Plasmox, which are scientifically formulated to boost the human immune system.

Source: Nana Yaw Gyimah

The digital convergence of licensed pharmacies will enable health officers and the Ghanaian public to have access to prescribed medicines and other hospital facilities at their convenience.

Purchase is made when an order is made with a mobile phone through the ‘Hepa Plus’ Pharmacy App and the medicine or the medical equipment is delivered to a requested location.

Chief Executive Officer of Ebenage Herbal Production and Consult, Dr Ebenezer Agyemeng, says this will create jobs for hundreds of people through the delivery system.

He spoke at a symposium on the state of the integration of herbal and orthodox medicine in Ghana.

According to him, the herbal industry has taken a new dimension with robust research and laid down procedures of international standards.

Digitising their operations with licensed pharmacies and other health materials will gradually flush out the influx of fake health products and drugs from the system.

Dr Agyemang pledged Ebenage Herbal Production and Consult’s willingness to fully sponsor any research work that will focus on producing a particular medication to combat a disorder annually.

He commended the Department of Herbal Medicine at KNUST for playing key roles in the acceptability of herbal medicine and production of medical herbalists, who are currently serving in various hospitals and participating in health education.

Professor Isaac Ayensu, Head of Department of Herbal Medicine, KNUST, encouraged herbal manufacturers to engage in thorough research on prescription of herbal remedies.

He challenged them to take necessary steps in ensuring their operations are digitised.

Prof. Ayensu also wants the government to support the herbal industry to help address public health issues.