Rampant tree-felling endangering medicinal plants

The Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers is concerned about the alarming rate at which the nation’s forests are being ravaged, threatening their raw material base.

Mr. Kenneth Okwampa Danso, its President, said many trees of high medicinal value were fast becoming endangered.

He therefore called for bold and strong action by the Forestry Commission (FC) to tackle the problem, not only to save traditional practice, but to enhance biodiversity.

Mr Danso was speaking at the opening of a four-day training workshop for members of the Association in Kumasi.

It is being attended by traditional healers from the Brong-Ahafo, Greater Accra and the Eastern regions with support from the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) and Skills Development Fund (SDF).

It seeks to build the capacity of the participants to improve the quality of their herbal products, expose them to entrepreneurial skills and best practices.

Mr. Danso appealed to the government to increase the budgetary allocation for research into plant medicine to improve health care delivery.

The Eastern Regional Chairman, Mr. Kingsley Yaw Nkansah, advised his colleagues to take the programme seriously to learn new ways of doing things.