The Anambra State Government has announced the ban on all forms of open advertisement of herbal medicines in the state.

This was disclosed in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, on Saturday.

Nwosu also said the state government had directed that all advertisements for herbal drugs must be approved by the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Herbal Medicine and Pharmaceuticals before they could be displayed in any public space or media platform.

He gave the categories of herbal medicines to include products made from botanicals or plants, that are used to treat diseases or to maintain health.

He listed it as a medicinal product and herbal supplements made from plants and used for curative or preventive purposes.

According to him, the exercise is targeted at regulating and controlling the use of herbal substances which has been on the increase among residents of the state.

Before the ban, Anambra was noted as a place where open advertisements of herbal medicine in motor parks and other strategic places are rampant, where many residents have often depended on herbal medicine, popularly called “Agbo”, as a remedy for a range of illnesses and diseases.

However, the increase in cases of some illnesses such as kidney failure has been attributed to the indiscriminate use of herbal medicine (Agbo) in the state.

“The ban on open advertisement of all forms of herbal medicines in the state is to contain the excesses and the indiscriminate use of herbal concoctions among the people,” the statement added.