The way forward for building a resilient economy that creates opportunities for all lies in adopting the Green Gold Agenda, a comprehensive strategy for sustainable use and protection of Ghana’s natural resources. This agenda emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the ecosystem—land, air, water, and plants—as vital to human survival and development. Any effort to disrupt this well-balanced environment, according to Prof. Samuel Ato Duncan, CEO of the COA Group of Companies and President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Associations (GHAFTRAM), is an act against humanity.
Prof. Duncan made this statement during the 25th anniversary celebration of GHAFTRAM and the launch of the Green Gold Ghana Agenda in Accra. He explained that the initiative aims to sustain the ecosystem while unlocking the potential of plant medicine.
He called on the government to support the Green Gold Agenda by incorporating herbal medicine into the National Health Service (NHS) drug list, which would enhance healthcare delivery and stimulate economic growth. He proposed several key measures to strengthen the herbal sector, including the development of a Green Gold Policy by the Ministry of Health, the creation of a Herbal Medicine Fund, the establishment of government-run herbal hospitals, and securing international funding and licensing for Ghanaian herbal products.
Prof. Duncan highlighted countries like India and Germany, where herbal medicine plays a crucial role in healthcare, as models for Ghana to emulate. He also emphasized the untapped potential of traditional medicine as a “gold mine” for the nation, with the ability to generate foreign exchange and drive sustainable development. However, he expressed concern over the destructive effects of illegal mining (galamsey) on forests and river bodies, which supply critical raw materials for herbal medicine.
He urged the government to tackle galamsey urgently, stressing that the health of the forests is directly linked to the future of the herbal medicine industry and the nation’s economic prosperity.
