By Asma’u Ahmad
A Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. Timothy Olanrewaju, has warned against the unusual practice of vaginal administration of herbal remedy which he said causes Acute Kidney Injury (AKI).
Dr. Olanrewaju stated this in a paper entitled: “Acute Kidney injury from herbal vaginal remedy in Ilorin: a case report”.
The expert, who teaches at the Department of Nephrology of the University of Ilorin, said that the use of herbal remedy causes AKI that accounts for 35 per cent injuries in Africa.
He explained that herbal remedies were known to be administered through vaginal routes and used for abortions in some part of South Africa.
He said that the AKI that resulted from vaginal administration of a herbal products for infertility has been reported also in Nigeria.
The Nephrologist described the case of a young female who developed AKI three days after vaginal insertion of herbal remedy for treatment of secondary infertility, adding that ”she was managed conservatively and recovered full renal function”.
According to him, the unusual socio-cultural practice of vaginal herbal therapy leading to AKI is under-reported in Nigeria.
He called for surveillance and public awareness of harmful effect of this practice and the use of unstandardized herbal products.
The expert pointed out that the reason for the high use of traditional remedies in poor countries included poor access to medical care, poverty, religious beliefs, infertility and body pains among others.
Olanrewaju warned that AKI is frequently encountered in clinical practice and is associated with high morbidity and mortality.
“The use of herbal remedies and socio-cultural practices that predisposes to health hazards should be discouraged,” he advised.
