By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
The Vice Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University and Professor of Epidemiology, Taofeek Ibrahim has called for integration of both orthodox and traditional medicine to find a cure for the coronavirus pandemic.
Prof. Ibrahim told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the integration of both could proffer a lasting solution on covid-19 earlier than possible.
”The contention now is that something that is not verifiable, which doesn’t have a base line, to test the efficacy of the traditional medicine, it is difficult for us to give a nod to it.
”The way to go is a good integration between Orthodox medicine and traditional medicine to come together and work on the materials available.
”If they (traditional medicine) don’t have the skills on how to test, and we have, let’s listen to them and go to the laboratory to see what they have a claim to and then we will be able to suggest it to the rigors of scientific investigation.
”Then together, we will be able to say we have observed the efficacy of their postulation and identify the limitation to what they have to offer,” Prof. Ibrahim said.
The professor of epidemiology, however, noted that boosting of immunity to fight the virus was generic and fundamental.
”The way and manner to boost immunity is generic and that is fundamental.
”Primarily, the manner of boosting immunity is by the nature of food that we take across various proportions.
”Essentially, nutrition is fundamental to boosting immunity.
”Apart from nutrition, vaccines are artificial ways of acquiring immunity.
”Where humans have been previously exposed to a particular infection, the body would have recognised the antibodies that have been formed and the entire antigene system in the body will be able to develop the immunity further,” Ibrahim said
The VC of Al-Hikmah, however, observed that the COVID-19 incidence in Nigeria would bring about positive change in all sectors of the country after the virus.
”As a matter of fact, there will be a difference in all sectors, because we have learnt several lessons because we were caught unawares.
”Several things that we should have done we didn’t do and it is our preparedness across all sectors that is bad.
”What determines everything in a country is about leadership and governance, this is not about a particular government now, but the cumulation of governance overtime and in the past.
”This is how far we have been able to go in Nigeria and that has translated to our health services, poverty level in the country among others,” the don said.
NAN reports that as at 8:30 a.m on Saturday, there are 305 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria with 58 discharged and seven deaths.
