UHMCTI, NAFDAC plan two-day training on herbal medicine development .

   T HE Universal Health Management Consultant Training Institute (UHMCTI), an accredited memberof Nigeria Council of Management Development (NCMD) in collaboration with National Agency for food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) plan to conduct a two-day workshop and training on herbal medicine development, next month,in three zones of the country.

  Chairman of the organizing committee, Executive Director of Programme at UHMCTI Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacognosy College of Mdecine University of Lagos (CMUL), Dr. Steve Ogbonna, said that the workshop and training aimed at developing herbal medicine in Nigeria through enhancing and improving total quality process in Herbal Medicine Production and use in treatment of patients in health care system.

  Ogbonna siad: "This training has become necessary because people are now going back to nature and embracing herbal medicine. Herbal Medicine is now sought for in the treament of various diseases especially diseases that cannot be effectively treated or controlled with orthodox medicine such as diabetes. Herbal medicine is therefore welcome as a renewed hope for masses especially the rural areas for their health challenges.

  "This workshop and training was designed to educate and also enhance the knowledge of herbal medicine producers in the area of herbal production and health care practitioners employing herbal medicine in health delivery".

  He said that the workshop would be held in three zones as approved by the NAFDAC Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii.

  The workshop would held Zone 1, which comprises Lagos Zone western states on March 3 and 4, 2014; Zone 2,Kaduna Zone comprising eastern states on March 24 and 25,2014.

  On the workshop objective, Ogbonna said:"At the end of the workshop participants will acquire a desired knowledge, skills, and total quality management knowledge on herbal medicine treatment; also techniques and skills to improve on the herbal medicine production and usage in Nigeria."

  Ogbonna said expected participants include: all health care parctitioners, herbal medicine dealers, pharmacists, doctors, nurses and medical laboratory officers, herbal medicine practitioners, and health care educators.

  He said the Lagos Zone workshop would be4 held at the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos.

Participants are expected to pay a workshop fee of N40,000 each, which covers breakfast, lunch break, including CD, workshop handout and group photograph.

By Chukwuma Muanya