Curbing Afghanistan's Herbalists
The government is looking at regulating a form of medical care that relies on age-old natural remedies.
Curbing Afghanistan's Herbalists
The government is looking at regulating a form of medical care that relies on age-old natural remedies.
He’s certainly not your typical doctor. Seated in the square near the shrine of Hazrat Ali, the major landmark in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Gulab is surrounded by several plastic bags, containing a bewildering array of powders and tablets and bottles filled with mysterious liquids.
As he’s done for nearly 10 years, Gulab advertises his services by shouting through a megaphone as about a dozen people surround him, “Medicine for stomach aches, medicine for kidney stones, for palsy, for worms, rheumatism, constipation and other diseases,” he chanted. “Money-back guarantee.”
Gulab told IWPR that he treats about 50 patients a day. He doesn’t actually examine his customers but relies instead on their descriptions of their ailments.
"My medicines work. You can tell by all the people around me,” he said. “If it were not effective, no one would come.”
Gulab has no formal medical training but he insists that his 10 years experience in providing herbal remedies is more than a match for any physician’s schooling.
He goes into the mountains four times a year to collect plants he thinks will be useful. He then makes them into medicines and uses them for treatment, although he concedes he’s unfamiliar with the chemical properties of his potions.
Gulab also shuns modern drug-making techniques. “These herbs are the basis of all treatments,” he said. “But when they are mixed by machine to produce modern medicine, they lose their effectiveness.”
The customers certainly appear to believe in him and his medicines. They also seem to appreciate the fact that his fees are far less than those charged by a regular physician.
Sajeda, a resident of the Chaharbolak district of Mazar-e-Sharif, clutched some packets containing remedies she had bought from Gulab.
"This medicine is for worms, and it cost only 60 US cents. If I went to a clinic, the doctor’s fee alone would be one dollar,” she said. “I don’t think I have ever taken my children to a doctor,” she added. “These herbs have cured all their sicknesses. And even if the herbs don’t help, at least they don’t hurt.”
Afghanistan’s health ministry is becoming increasingly interested in herbal remedies, and is seeking to regulate the industry.
Abdullah Fahim, an advisor to the health ministry, says the government, working with the World Health Organisation, is determined to look into the use of herbal medicine.
“Herbal treatments exist in almost all countries: India, Iran, Pakistan and Europe. But here it is used most often in folk medicine, not scientifically. We want to make this treatment more official,” he said.
The health ministry also wants to establish a training programme for those involved in herbal medicine.
"We need time so that we can send herbalists to be educated in countries which are more advanced in this field,” he said.
Sayed Ibrahim Kamel, head of drug quality control at the health ministry, said that those who dispense herbal medicines often lack the formal training needed to ensure effectiveness.
“The field of herbal treatment in Afghanistan now belongs to illiterates who have gained their knowledge through practice or from their fathers,” he said. “We have to educate herbalists.”
The idea appeals to Deedar Singh, who runs a shop in Mazar-e-Sharif selling herbal remedies. He said he has more than 100 types of medicines in his cupboards and the shop has been in his family for generations.
“I started working with my father and grandfather as soon as I was able to walk,” he said. “I am a professional with a lot of experience. The government should pass a law so that those who are not professionals are not authorised to work.”
Singh is convinced that herbs are the key to health. “This treatment is many times more effective than modern medicine,” he insisted. “If the government would help us to make contact with experts in India, we could develop this method rapidly, and there would be no need for modern, overpriced treatment.”
The medical community in Afghanistan, however, remains unimpressed by the work of these traditional herbalists.
"We are so sorry that the people are still going to illiterate and ignorant healers,” said Kanishka Omid, a specialist in internal medicine in Mazar-e-Sharif. “I know that herbal treatment can be effective, but these roadside ‘doctors’ prescribe one type of medicine for thousands of diseases. Not only does this not cure the patient, it can cause more trouble in the future.”
Shamsuddin, an herbalist with his own shop, bristles at the words.
"This is just a plot to take away our market,” he said. “We have more customers than those doctors who practice modern medicine. They want to drive us out of business.”
Outside the Hazrat Ali shrine, Gulab is not very concerned about what the government thinks of his medicines. In fact, he thinks that any formal recognition might be harmful.
“Herbal medicine will lose its quality if it becomes official,” he said.
Mohammad Hassan, 51, buying some medicines from Gulab, is a fan of herbal healing.
"I had stomach problems for five years. I took many medicines but they didn’t help,” he said. “Now I am taking herbs and my stomach problem has decreased. I have finally understood that this folk medicine is much better than modern treatment.”
Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is a staff reporter in Mazar-e-Sharif. Abdul Baseer Saeed contributed to this report.
As he’s done for nearly 10 years, Gulab advertises his services by shouting through a megaphone as about a dozen people surround him, “Medicine for stomach aches, medicine for kidney stones, for palsy, for worms, rheumatism, constipation and other diseases,” he chanted. “Money-back guarantee.”
Gulab told IWPR that he treats about 50 patients a day. He doesn’t actually examine his customers but relies instead on their descriptions of their ailments.
"My medicines work. You can tell by all the people around me,” he said. “If it were not effective, no one would come.”
Gulab has no formal medical training but he insists that his 10 years experience in providing herbal remedies is more than a match for any physician’s schooling.
He goes into the mountains four times a year to collect plants he thinks will be useful. He then makes them into medicines and uses them for treatment, although he concedes he’s unfamiliar with the chemical properties of his potions.
Gulab also shuns modern drug-making techniques. “These herbs are the basis of all treatments,” he said. “But when they are mixed by machine to produce modern medicine, they lose their effectiveness.”
The customers certainly appear to believe in him and his medicines. They also seem to appreciate the fact that his fees are far less than those charged by a regular physician.
Sajeda, a resident of the Chaharbolak district of Mazar-e-Sharif, clutched some packets containing remedies she had bought from Gulab.
"This medicine is for worms, and it cost only 60 US cents. If I went to a clinic, the doctor’s fee alone would be one dollar,” she said. “I don’t think I have ever taken my children to a doctor,” she added. “These herbs have cured all their sicknesses. And even if the herbs don’t help, at least they don’t hurt.”
Afghanistan’s health ministry is becoming increasingly interested in herbal remedies, and is seeking to regulate the industry.
Abdullah Fahim, an advisor to the health ministry, says the government, working with the World Health Organisation, is determined to look into the use of herbal medicine.
“Herbal treatments exist in almost all countries: India, Iran, Pakistan and Europe. But here it is used most often in folk medicine, not scientifically. We want to make this treatment more official,” he said.
The health ministry also wants to establish a training programme for those involved in herbal medicine.
"We need time so that we can send herbalists to be educated in countries which are more advanced in this field,” he said.
Sayed Ibrahim Kamel, head of drug quality control at the health ministry, said that those who dispense herbal medicines often lack the formal training needed to ensure effectiveness.
“The field of herbal treatment in Afghanistan now belongs to illiterates who have gained their knowledge through practice or from their fathers,” he said. “We have to educate herbalists.”
The idea appeals to Deedar Singh, who runs a shop in Mazar-e-Sharif selling herbal remedies. He said he has more than 100 types of medicines in his cupboards and the shop has been in his family for generations.
“I started working with my father and grandfather as soon as I was able to walk,” he said. “I am a professional with a lot of experience. The government should pass a law so that those who are not professionals are not authorised to work.”
Singh is convinced that herbs are the key to health. “This treatment is many times more effective than modern medicine,” he insisted. “If the government would help us to make contact with experts in India, we could develop this method rapidly, and there would be no need for modern, overpriced treatment.”
The medical community in Afghanistan, however, remains unimpressed by the work of these traditional herbalists.
"We are so sorry that the people are still going to illiterate and ignorant healers,” said Kanishka Omid, a specialist in internal medicine in Mazar-e-Sharif. “I know that herbal treatment can be effective, but these roadside ‘doctors’ prescribe one type of medicine for thousands of diseases. Not only does this not cure the patient, it can cause more trouble in the future.”
Shamsuddin, an herbalist with his own shop, bristles at the words.
"This is just a plot to take away our market,” he said. “We have more customers than those doctors who practice modern medicine. They want to drive us out of business.”
Outside the Hazrat Ali shrine, Gulab is not very concerned about what the government thinks of his medicines. In fact, he thinks that any formal recognition might be harmful.
“Herbal medicine will lose its quality if it becomes official,” he said.
Mohammad Hassan, 51, buying some medicines from Gulab, is a fan of herbal healing.
"I had stomach problems for five years. I took many medicines but they didn’t help,” he said. “Now I am taking herbs and my stomach problem has decreased. I have finally understood that this folk medicine is much better than modern treatment.”
Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is a staff reporter in Mazar-e-Sharif. Abdul Baseer Saeed contributed to this report.
