50 Malaria Herbal Medicines Tested; All Fails

Dr. Aina Oluwagbemiga, a researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in Yaba, Lagos, claimed that the nation has yet to discover a herbal remedy for curing malaria.

Aina encouraged Nigerians in an interview with Punch to get tested and confirm they have malaria before receiving treatment.

The Deputy Director of Research at the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Biochemistry and Nutrition Department, stated that the herbal remedies currently available can only restrict the parasite that causes malaria, not cure it like chloroquine does.

Aina went on to say that over 50 herbal products were evaluated for the treatment of malaria over the course of two years, and none of them were able to back up their producers’ claims that they were effective.

He said: “NIMR is yet to see any herbal product that cures malaria, We are yet to see. We have not seen anyone for now. From my own experience, I have not seen any herbal product that cures malaria.

“What they do is just to lower the body temperature and the parasites will just be suppressed but after some time, they will come back. I have not seen anyone that cures it like chloroquine does.

“We are still looking for them. Although some people have been claiming that they cure malaria, I am yet to see anyone and I have told them to bring their products and let’s try them and see whether it is going to work.

“We believe that our herbal products do work in certain areas and we know that we cannot stop people from taking herbal products.

“So after we have done the test and it is good for consumption, then you do an efficacy study, what you claimed that this your product does, does it do?

“That’s when we now go into an efficacy study. But as I said for malaria, I am yet to see any herbal product that cures malaria.

“As for herbal products, a lot of people do claim that it does this, it does that but we are yet to see one that cures the malaria parasite.

“From my 25 years of experience working with malaria and using herbal products, I have not seen anyone that cured the parasite.

“I have tested more than 50 herbal products in the last two years but I have not seen anyone that can cure the parasite.

“All the products that we have seen so far, they only suppress malaria but they don’t cure. After some time, the parasite will still come out and the person will have these symptoms that he has malaria.”