Kampala — The government should support local initiatives to develop traditional herbal medicine and research against HIV/Aids and other diseases, Mr Sadam Lukwago, a local herbal medicine researcher, has said.

"What we lack is support. We appeal to the government and non governmental organisations to support our local efforts to develop herbal medicine to fight the scourge of Aids and other diseases," he said at a press conference on Thursday.

Lukwago, who has just returned from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania, where he has several herbal clinics, said Uganda is in a danger of losing its herbal medicine researchers to other countries where local research is generously supported by the government.

He said he knew of several Ugandan researchers who had migrated to South Africa and other countries where their work is appreciated and supported by the government and other donors.

He said in some African countries he had visited, local herbal researchers had access to the multi billion Global Fund for Aids.

"It is different here, one has to use his own money to do research, which severely limits the development of local medicines, yet they are often more effective than western drugs," he said.

Lukwago said on several occasions, he had sent proposals requesting for the government's support through the National Council for Traditional Healers' Association (Nacotha) but had never got any response to date.