The Centre for Plant Medicine Research at Manpong-Akwapim, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, has held a 3-day memorial conference in honour of its founder, Dr. Oku Ampofo.
The first of its kind, the Oku Ampofo Memorial conference was to celebrate the great works and the legacy Dr Oku Ampofo (the founder of the Centre for Plant Medicine Research) has done in the past.
The conference also aimed at sharing the initial data generated by the centre from the research project by the CPMR titled “Collaborative and Concreted Approach to Development of Herbal Projects Against Sars-Cov2 Virus” was on the theme: “Medicinal Plant Research: Innovation and Prospects in a Pandemic Era”.
The conference which was held in Accra at the AH Hotel starting with the arrival of guests on Tuesday, November 1 to November 3, 2022, saw various stakeholders with expertise in herbal medicine across the globe attending.
Speaking at the conference, Executive Director of the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Prof Alex Asase said, Dr Oku Ampofo’s contribution to traditional medicine in Ghana and beyond is worth celebrating.
According to him, the conference is just the first of a series that will be held in honour of the founder Dr Oku Ampofo.
He said the centre is committed to preserving the legacy of Dr Oku Ampofo and will continue to strive.
In his remarks, Dr Williams Collins Asare, fund administrator of the Covid-19 National Trust Fund expressed his appreciation to the centre for the invitation to be part of the important celebration.
He encouraged to centre to keep up with the good work done in herbal medicine.
Speaking on the initial data generated by the centre from a research project by the CPMR titled “Collaborative and Concreted Approach to Development of Herbal Projects Against Sars-Cov2 Virus, Prof. Asase noted, it was in the interest of the National Trust Fund.
According to him, “the Covid-19 national trust fund deemed this research initiative by the Centre a giant step towards finding local solutions for the health problems of the country and we were therefore pleased to provide funding support of GH¢1,800,037.00 towards that endeavour”.
The centre for plant medicine has started the initial data generated from research by the centre contains a breakthrough towards the finding of a herbal product which has the potential of controlling and even curing the SARS Cov-2 virus and Covid-19.
Dr Williams Collins Asare deems it to be a success story for the health delivery system in Ghana and for the entire continent which the Covid National Trust Fund will be proud to be associated with.
On his part, prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, who was the special guest speaker, lauded the centre for plant medicine research for its tremendous contribution to the health sector, stressing that he is a believer in herbal medicine.
He urged the centre to continue and preserve what Dr Oku Ampofo left behind.
“We are remembering Dr Oku Ampofo. He was the first Ghanaian to receive a scholarship to study medicine aboard. As we remember this great man let us pray that we will preserve what he left for us so that one day they will get the money to continue what he left, may God bless his soul”.
Adding that centre to expand its scope in research to fungi and animals.
“I think that we should widen our scope and not only focus on plants. That is why we may find something that will also be beneficial to animals and even fungi. All this will be possible through research”, Prof Frimpong Boateng explained.
Business mogul Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, the Chairman of the event underscored the importance of the work done by the centre for plant medicine research.
He seized the opportunity to urge the government and related stakeholders to pay attention to the herbal medicine sector which could provide the country with income and job opportunities for the youth.
“Plant medicine is one area that I believe as a country we need to pay attention to. Not only will it bring in a lot of money for us but it will create huge employment opportunities,” he stated.
