The quest for better medical care has dramatically increased in recent times. This has consequently heightened the demand for medical tourism among most Africans.  The pursuit of medical treatment abroad is a global phenomenon that when linked to economic development it generates decreasing revenues and fosters the continuation of the abandoned health care system. For instance: as noted by the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioner of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Nigeria has been losing more than $1billion every year on health treatments in countries outside the shores of Nigeria.

More so, statistics from Business Day Nigeria laid out that 47 percent of Nigerians who visited India within the year 2012 did so for the sole purpose of getting medical treatments, of which the cost of treatment was estimated to be  N41.6 billion ($260 million) in the scarcity of foreign exchange. This trend signifies that there are potent reasons for embarking on medical tourism but its outcome is economic draining.

However, to curb the incessant economic drain of resources, Africans ought to look inwards. Africa countries are endowed with natural resources cum attraction sites, which has made them be listed as tourist destination countries, hence seeking alternative medicine prevalent in their environment is a welcome substitute. There is a need for alternative medical treatment such that would lead to reducing impurities, symptoms, worries, and enhance harmony in life, because of the rising health conditions. These treatments would be achieved with the use of oils, herbs, plants, roots, spices, metals, which are readily available.

Therefore, African countries are expressly obligated to leverage on the popularity and establish alternative medical treatment services, to boost their health care. The outcome of this will boost the practice of indigenous alternative medicine practitioners, uphold culture, revenues are recycled with the nation, encourage inbound medical tourism, as well as encourage an influx of potential medical tourists into African countries.

Quote: “I believe that for every illness or ailment known to man, that God has a plant out here that will heal it. We just need to keep discovering the properties for natural healing.” ― Vannoy Gentles Fite