Prof. Isaac Kingsley Amponsah issues urgent plea for protected land cultivation to safeguard Ghana’s natural remedies from the threat of illegal mining.
The head of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Isaac K. Amponsah, has issued a stark and urgent challenge to the government: protect our forests, or watch the foundation of Ghana’s herbal medicine tradition vanish forever.
In a powerful address, Prof. Amponsah directly linked the survival of the nation’s herbal medicine agenda to the escalating crises of illegal mining (galamsey) and deforestation, calling for a radical shift in how Ghana manages its land to safeguard its natural medical heritage.
“The world is being polluted” Prof. Amponsah stated. “We need the government to come up strongly with the protection of our forests.”
Prof. Amponsah’s solution is a direct appeal for top-down intervention. He called on leadership to “engage government and secure vast areas of our rich forests in various regions for herbal medicine.”
This proposal is not just about conservation; it’s about legitimization. For Prof. Amponsah, this action is the ultimate litmus test for the government’s commitment to its own herbal medicine agenda.
“Then we know that they are indeed serious about the herbal medicine agenda,” he concluded, framing state-protected medicinal forests as the only true measure of national seriousness.
Why This Matters for Every Ghanaian:
The threat is not abstract. The loss of these forests means:
· The end of affordable, accessible remedies for countless Ghanaians who rely on traditional medicine as a first line of defense.
· The erosion of cultural knowledge as the plants that are the subject of ancient wisdom become extinct.
· A massive blow to Ghana’s economic potential in the global market for natural and organic health products.
Prof. Amponsah’s warning is clear: Ghana stands at a crossroads. We can continue to allow our natural pharmacy to be liquidated for short-term gain, or we can choose to strategically protect it as a sovereign resource for national health and prosperity.
The ball is now in the government’s court. The question remains: will it act to secure this vital heritage before the last healing leaf is gone?
