NIGERIAN TRIBUNE - Midweek TRIBUNE
Before, people had the consciousness of the blurb of herbal medicine at strategic situation such as roadsides, markets, moving vehicles and motor parks in major hamlet and cities where the attention of passers-by could without a hitch be attracted.
A major channel of reaching prospective consumers at such settings was the suspension of blaring loudspeakers on the top of stationary vehicles.
Although this advertising channel still exists, a new tendency in the advertisement of herbal medicine in modern times is the aggressive marketing drive in both the impress and electronic media. This innovation has a lot of advantages for the traditional doctors.
It wake up the interest of citizens in herbal healing and its end in modern-day trim care delivery.
Also, the choice of the mass media aqueduct of radio, television and data magazines as opposed to the standard channel ensures that it reaches a wider audience.
Daily, a new herbal doctor emerges and is made popular by his sponsorship of media programmes and advertisements. They make sure presenters hype their herbal outfits and what they can do.
Local traditional medical practitioners have made various dramatic claims of successes that could not be verified in the media, yet, many mankind in Nigeria including approach makers believe their claims.
A lot of interests and control have been drawn to the curative claims and ethics of traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria by many headline information in the stamp and electronic media.
In many cases, the use of the name is closely linked to the advertisers’ proudness and belief in their pedigree as herbal doctors. The advertisers usually assert to have inherited the art from their forefathers whose healing artistry is each time described as unrivalled in their days.
This appeals to the audience a lot as anything that is inherited is in general believed to be more enduring than that which is learnt.
Herbal medicine and mode of care of are handed down by the tradition of a community.
It is the knowledge and practices used in diagnosis, prevention and elimination of physical, mental or social imbalance and it relies mainly on practical experience and observations handed down from generation to another.
In a doozer country like Nigeria with many ethnic company rich in herbal medicine, there are indefinite respected habitual healers to take care of the teeming population. Condition is a very precious commodity. A common saying states that, ‘health is wealth.& It is therefore the foundation of all happiness.
Herbal medicine has developed in many communities in Nigeria in reply to the health needs of the people. Many communities accept since creation, developed various traditional systems of using locally-available resources for the alleviation of their fitness crises.
The developing of herbal medicine in Nigeria has led to various classification of healers, healing methods, strategies and medicines or treatment now proclaimed and packaged like orthodox drugs.
Aside the huge aggregate of money invested on adverts alongside the traditional doctors, another reason for the popularity of herbal treatment is the fact that most Nigerians, especially those in the rural communities do not have access to orthodox medicine or cannot afford the treatment.
Where such access exists, the rising cost of imported medications and other commodities used for treatment have posed a big problem. It is estimated that approximately 75 per cent of the populace still prefer to solve their form question consulting traditional healers.