EDITORIAL-Alternative health care

There are 10 plants in the country whose medicinal uses have been scientifically validated for safety and efficacy and endorsed by the Department of Health through its Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care. The DOH-PITAHC is rolling out the medicinal preparations of the plants to benefit an initial 19,500 households in marginalized and underserved communities.

These are lagundi for cough and asthma, sambong for kidney stones, ampalaya or bitter gourd for high blood sugar and diabetes, garlic for high cholesterol, guava as an oral and skin antiseptic, tsaang gubat as mouthwash, yerba-buena as analgesic and antipyretic, niyug-niyogan against parasitic worms, akapulko as antifungal and ulasimang bato against high uric acid.

About 70 other plants used in Philippine folk medicine are being scientifically validated for their efficacy. There is continuing R&D on the efficacy of virgin coconut oil against the COVID virus and related pathogens.

The effort to develop herbal medicine deserves greater support in terms of funding, research and development as well as commercial production and marketing. India, for example, provides such support for its ancient medical system, Ayurveda, which promotes a holistic approach to physical and mental wellness. Indian ayurvedic centers are major tourist attractions as well.

In the Philippines, wellness centers using traditional medical care can also be developed into tourism draws. At the same time, the COVID pandemic has highlighted the importance of providing greater state support for the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry. Modern pharmaceutical production is a major industry in India, one of the top sources of generic medicines for the Philippines. The push for herbal medicine should be complemented by increased support for the Philippines’ homegrown pharmaceutical enterprises.