Accra, Aug. 27, GNA - The Ministry of Health (MOH) and its Chinese counterpart on Friday signed an agreement to begin clinical trials in Chinese traditional medicine in the country.

The agreement between MOH and Chinese State Agency for Traditional Medicine is to pave way for collaboration between their traditional medicine regimes.

Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, who initialled for Ghana, said the medicines which would be used for the treatment of malaria, hypertension and stroke, diabetes and cholesterol management had been sent to the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) to test their efficacy.

In addition, he said Chinese specialists would work with Noguchi Memorial Institute, the clinical trial unit of Ghana Health Service (GHS), Pharmacy Council, Mampong Centre for Plant Medicine, Medical and Dental Council, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science on Technology (KNUST) and if possible with the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies.

The Chinese would also venture into planting of herbal plants, establish training institutions and train students in traditional medicines.

Mr. Mettle-Nunoo said the agreement would help Ghana traditional medicine manufacturers improve on efficacy and pave the way for both countries to import and export medicines.

He said bilateral relationship between the two countries commenced during the era of Ghana's First President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and there had been fruitful collaboration between them and noted that China would next month hand over a hospital in Teshie in Accra to the Government.

Mr. Li Danning, Deputy Commissioner of State Agency for Traditional Medicine, who initialled for China, said his country and Africa had indigenous medicines that were peculiar to each environment; it was now time for them to share experiences and successes for the benefit of their people.

He expressed the hope that the agreement would encourage the use of traditional medicines and urged Ghanaians to support the trials of their medicines which were already on the Chinese markets.