Ghana’s foremost herbal drug, COA Mixture, was yesterday re-launched at a colourful ceremony at Alisa Hotel in Accra.
The ceremony saw the attendance of several dignitaries and hundreds of supporters of the product from across the nation.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister for Trade and Industry Mr. Alan Kyerematen stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 80% of the developing world’s population use traditional medicine, particularly herbal medicines for their health care needs. He noted that in places such as Africa and Asia, herbs are even used as the first line of treatment for some diseases.
“In fact, many pharmaceutical products currently in use are plant-derived, and most of these originate from the tropical regions of the world including Africa,” he stated.
He stated that the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of disease dates back many decades ago. He said that through a combination of instinct, observation, taste, and experience, ancient men and women treated illness by using plants, animal parts, and minerals that were not part of their usual diet.
“Through trial and error, they were able to distinguish useful plants with beneficial effects from those that were harmful or not effective. Also, combinations or various processing methods had to be used to gain consistent and optimal results. This knowledge of plant-derived remedies developed gradually and was passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation,” he stated.
He noted that well into the 20th century, much of the pharmacopoeia of conventional medicine was derived from the herbal knowledge of native peoples and even today many commonly used medicines are of plant origin. Medicinal plants therefore constitute a vital resource that can be harnessed for both health and socioeconomic benefits.
“It is believed that, for the high cost of modern medicines, limited national health budgets and inadequate health facilities, which have compelled many governments to reconsider the advantages of traditional health care systems, the sector would have remained largely ignored. With the renewed interest in herbal medicine, it is important for herbal medicine manufacturers to adopt technology and innovative mechanisms to address the growing concerns about their quality, safety and efficacy due to poor methods of preparation,” he said.
Mr. Kyeremateng stated that the global market for herbal medicines has an estimated value of about $110 billion per annum, globally and it is projected to reach $178 billion in 2026.
“The good news is that most of these medicinal plants are found in the country and the continent by extension. It is in this regard, that the Government is happy to note the expansion in the herbal industry in Ghana which seeks to position the sector to tap into the global market in order to boost non-traditional exports,” he stated.
Mr. Kyerematen gave the assurance that the Ministry of Trade and Industry will collaborate with COA Mixture Manufacturing Company and other herbal medicine manufacturers to improve their production facilities in order to take advantage of this market opportunity.
“I am reliably informed that the company is partnering other institutions in Ghana, South Africa and Kenya to undertake further research into plant medicine. I am aware of the significant steps in terms of technology adaptation being deployed by the company in its production processes. These significant efforts have been made by the company to improve their operations and enable their product meet global standards.
“In addition to the efforts by the company, Government of Ghana under the CARES Obaatan Pa programme is supporting the private sector to develop the manufacture of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Ghana as well as establish Bioequivalence Center to support local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
“These efforts are geared towards positioning pharmaceutical companies operating in Ghana to take full advantage of the market opportunities, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which has a combined GDP of about $1.3 Trillion with over 1.3 billion consumer market,” he stated.
He expressed his profound gratitude to the Chief Executive Officer of COA Herbal Centre, Professor Samuel Ato Duncan, and his team for inviting me to join you for the relaunching of the COA Mixture herbal medicine.
“I wish to further commend COA Research and Manufacturing Company Limited for its role in promoting health and wellbeing of Ghanaians and Africans at large through improved plant medicine under their Collaborative Research project. Let me also commend the Management and Staff for their dedication and hard work which have brought the company to this far.
“In conclusion, let me congratulate COA Research and Manufacturing Company Limited for the re-launch of COA Mixture, an organic medicine for general well-being and an immune booster,” he stated.
