Medicinal plants used to treat TB in Ghana

The current study was designed to document medicinal plant species that are traditionally used to treat tuberculosis [TB] by Ghanaian communities. The medicinal plants used against TB or its signs and symptoms were selected using library and online published data searches. A guided questionnaire interview was also conducted with a botanist involved in plant collection at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine [CSRPM] at Mampong. Data obtained were entered in Excel and summarized into means and frequencies using SPSS 12.0.1 for windows, and expressed as tables and bar graphs. A total of 15 medicinal plant species distributed between 13 genera and 13 families were documented. The following medicinal plant species were found to be used against TB in Greater Accra and Eastern parts of Ghana: Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Stem bark [Meliaceae], Hygrophila auriculata Heine, whole plant [Acanthaceae], Chenopodium ambrosioides L. leaves [Amaranthaceae], Coix lacryma-jobi L. glumes [Poaceae], Solanum torvum Sw. unripe fruits [Solanaceae], Solanum torvum Sw. leaves [Solanaceae], Bidens pilosa L. whole plant [Asteraceae], Phyllanthus fraternus G.L. Webster leaves [Phyllanthaceae], Dissotis rotundifolia [Sm.] Triana, leaves [Melastomataceae], Cymbopogon giganteus Chiov. Leaves [Poaceae], Cyperus articulatus L. roots [Cyperaceae], Allium sativum L. bulb [Amaryllidaceae], Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizomes [Zingiberaceae], Allium cepa L. bulbs [Amaryllidaceae], Allium cepa L. leaves [Amaryllidaceae], Aloe vera var. barbadensis aqueous extract from leaves [Xanthorrhoeaceae], Aloe vera var. barbadensis organic extract from leaves [Xanthorrhoeaceae], Cocos nucifera Linn, water [Arecaceae] and Cocos nucifera Linn. Husk [Arecaceae]. The collected plant species could be a source of a new class of drugs against TB. Bioactivity guided fractionation is recommended to identify lead compounds for antimycobacterial activity. The current paper documents for the first time medicinal plant species used by Ghanaian communities to treat TB. These results are a basis for selection of plants for further pharmacological, toxicological and phytochemical studies in developing new plant-based antimycobacterial drugs

Current perspectives in drug discovery against tuberculosis from natural products

Currently, one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis [MTB], while 8.9-9.9 million new and relapse cases of tuberculosis [TB] are reported yearly. The renewed research interests in natural products in the hope of discovering new and novel antitubercular leads have been driven partly by the increased incidence of multidrug-resistant strains of MTB and the adverse effects associated with the first- and second-line antitubercular drugs. Natural products have been, and will continue to be a rich source of new drugs against many diseases. The depth and breadth of therapeutic agents that have their origins in the secondary metabolites produced by living organisms cannot be compared with any other source of therapeutic agents. Discovery of new chemical molecules against active and latent TB from natural products requires an interdisciplinary approach, which is a major challenge facing scientists in this field. In order to overcome this challenge, cutting edge techniques in mycobacteriology and innovative natural product chemistry tools need to be developed and used in tandem. The present review provides a cross-linkage to the most recent literature in both fields and their potential to impact the early phase of drug discovery against TB if seamlessly combined

Lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: A rapid study of nine countries

Lockdown measures have been introduced worldwide to contain the transmission of COVID-19. This paper defines the term lockdown and describes the design, timing and implementation of lockdown in nine countries in Sub Saharan Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It also discusses the manner in which lockdown is enforced, the need to mitigate the harms of lockdown, and the association between lockdown and the reported number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. While there are some commonalities in the implementation of lockdown, a more notable finding is the variation in the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures across the nine countries. We found that the number of reported cases is heavily dependent on the number of tests done, and that testing rates ranged from 9 to 21,261 per million population. The reported number of COVID-19 deaths per million population also varies, but is generally low when compared to countries in Europe and North America. While lockdown measures may have helped inhibit some community transmission, the pattern and nature of the epidemic remains unclear. Of concern are signs of lockdown harming health by affecting the functioning of the health system and causing social and economic harms. This paper highlights the need for inter-sectoral and trans-disciplinary research capable of providing a rigorous and holistic assessment of the harms and benefits of lockdown.