Mozambique: University launches traditional medicine supplement – O País report

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Mozambique: University launches traditional medicine supplement – O País report

2:33 CAT | 01 Sep 2021

Photo: O País

African Traditional Medicine Day was celebrated on Tuesday under the motto, “Potential Contribution of Traditional Medicine to the Response to COVID-19”.

To mark the date, a nutritional supplement designed to strengthen the immune system of Covid-19 patients, and called ‘Ekume’, a word borrowed from Emakhua, the most-used Bantu language in Mozambique, was launched in Maputo city.

The supplement, developed by researchers from the Pedagogical University of Maputo (UP-Maputo) in partnership with the Ministry of Health, was launched at a ceremony in Maputo city hall.

Cornélio Mucaca, one of the researchers at UP-Maputo, says that the supplement will contribute to strengthening the immune system of people with Covid-19 and other diseases.

“It is a flour based on natural, local and easily accessible products. It includes several nutrients, including green banana flour, malambi flour, which contains a high content of vitamin C; sorghum flour, from corn, which is very rich in protein; plus peanuts and sweeteners that are important for the taste,” Mucaca explained.

The Association of Traditional Doctors of Mozambique (AMETRAMO) says it is pursuing research on medicinal plants that could contribute to the fight against Covid-19. “There will be research that will bring a guarantee after the drugs themselves are tested in the laboratory,” AMETRAMO president Fernando Mathe said.

Also speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health, Lídia Cardoso, condemned some deviant behaviour on the part of some traditional doctors, while praising the contribution of traditional medicine in the treatment of various diseases affecting Mozambicans.

“It is important to continue to train and capacitate more practitioners of traditional and alternative medicine, so that people do not fall behind in the hospital diagnosis. Traditional and conventional medicine must act together, so as to allow more people to retain knowledge, to prevent diseases and to properly follow medical treatments,” she said.

The World Health Organization representative present reiterated the WHO’s ongoing commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health in the development and implementation of policies and strategies for the promotion of traditional medicine.

By Amandio Borges

Today is African Traditional Medicine Day!👩🏾‍🔬🌿💊

Traditional medicine has many benefits and plays a central role in heath care in #Africa. While there’s no scientifically proven cure for #COVID19 yet, traditional therapies hold a lot of possibilities.https://t.co/rkbwh4BwdH pic.twitter.com/HSnXi1yUnV

— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) August 31, 2021