In some parts of the world, people resort to traditional rather than modern medicine.
Do these traditional medicines hide the solution to “modern” diseases?
In the north of their native rural Cameroon, very few women choose scientific careers, but Sabine Adeline Fanta Yadang and Hadidjatou Daïrou broke down prejudices and have been awarded for researching the potential application of traditional medicine in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Neurology doctor Yadang (32) and 33-year-old Daïrou, a PhD student in cell physiology, due to the quality of their work, were selected among the group of 30 scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa who received the L’Oréal-Unesco Young Talents Award on November 8 for women in science.
Two female scientists work in the laboratory of the Institute for Medical Research and Studies of Summer Plants (IMPM) in Yaoundéu, the capital of Cameroon.
Winners of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Young Talent Award for Women in Science Sabine Adeline Fanta Yadang, 32, (right) and Hadidjatou Daïrou, 33, (left) pose for a photo with their award at the Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies in Yaounde.
Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease
I saw what the extract of the plant does to the human body and how much it can help people in my area, said Daïrou, known for researching the potential of the indigenous plant Garcinia Kola in treating cardiovascular disease.
Sabine Adeline strives to better understand the physiopathology of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease, in order to find a new source of therapy in medicinal plants.
Traditional medicine in Cameroon is inherited from the ancestors.
In Cameroon, patients resort to plants before going to hospital, says herbal therapist Eric Owoundi Nkoa, adding that 70 to 80 percent of Cameroonians use natural remedies.
For Daïrou, the bitter rind of Little Kola, which is the vernacular name for Garcinia Kola, is often consumed in Africa to alleviate various conditions and ailments and may prove beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Especially for atherosclerosis, one of the main causes of heart disease, said the doctor.
Fanta Yadang relies on ground almond milk, a plant also known as tiger nut and chufa (Cyperus esculentus), which is regularly consumed in Central Africa for its medicinal properties known for centuries.
Because conventional treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are very expensive, she hopes to prove that the herb can help fight neuron degeneration and reduce stress on the brain.
