With experience from three generations spanning over 100 years practicing traditional medicine, Dr. Adedotun Ajila insists that the high incidence of low sperm count in Nigeria can be managed with the use of herbs. In this very insightful interview by Tosin Ayinde, meiza.ng Managing Editor, the tradomedical expert effuses confidence, knowledge, and insight.
You’re well known in the herbal medicine circle. Who is Dr. Adedotun Ajila, and what has been driving the brand in the last few years?
I’m Dr. Adedotun Ajila, from Ereje, Ondo State. Ajila herbal products are well-known in the traditional medicine circle, especially when it comes to the treatment of low sperm count, diabetes, and hypertension. The Ajila brand is family-owned and I’m the third generation in the family tree. Over the years, our strength has been our unique expertise in the treatment of low sperm count using herbs. We’ve been operating for more than a century and our brands have proven quite effective.
One of your most popular products deals with low sperm count. How effective is the solution?
First, we must demystify what low sperm count is and what it is not. Low sperm count, also known as watery sperm, arises when the white blood cell becomes infected and can no longer effectively support the red blood cell in the production of healthy semen. This usually arises as a result of exposure to fire – overheating of the body.
When clients come for a consultation, we usually recommend a medical test to ascertain the root cause and extent of the damage. In the case of an infected white blood cell, we will introduce the Ajila blood cleanser to terminate the virus.
After this process, we will then introduce Worowo, the Ajila sperm booster. After taking it, this will re-energize the white blood cell, which will start functioning well with the testicles producing thick, more productive semen. However, we always advise our clients to still run a subsequent test to monitor progress.
What are the constituents of this herbal solution? Are all of them readily available in Nigeria?
Herbal ingredients abound in Nigeria but I don’t think we have fully optimized their full potential. The Ajila herbal blood cleanser consists of what is known in Yoruba as bara, oganwo, potash, eru (Negro pepper or uda seeds), and baka (maka root). We boil and package them as juice with strict instructions on use. From the moment patients start drinking it, the white blood cell becomes more functional, with the resultant effect being thick semen. However, we always tell our clients to run further tests and monitor progress. For Worowo, the Ajila sperm booster, the compositions are coconut water, garlic, turmeric, white garlic, local egg, and original honey. All these items are readily available in the markets.
Before applying the solution, how is low sperm count determined? I mean, how do we know it’s low sperm count that is the problem, and not some other ailments or stress?
During the consultation, we usually tell our clients to run tests in a laboratory in order to know the root cause of the ailment. Through support from the Lagos State Board of Traditional Medicine, we can now send our clients for testing, and they will honor it. The collaboration has been super effective.
Usually, people that expose their bodies to excessive heat will most likely suffer from low sperm count. For example, people who work in metal smelting factories or local bakeries. Overheating of the body weakens the white blood cell and it’s easy to know when this happens. First, the sperm will suddenly become watery, which is quite noticeable as the semen drips from the woman’s body the moment she rises after intercourse. Stress has nothing to do with sperm production, although it could affect a man’s sexual agility.
Have you subjected the solution to NAFDAC’s regulatory process, to certify that it does exactly what it is intended, so as to possibly expand access to the solution even beyond the shores of Nigeria?
I’m open to subjecting my products to regulatory scrutiny but the process is capital-intensive and this is a major challenge for us herbal practitioners. Infrastructural amenities such as a well-fenced pharmaceutical laboratory, and a well-treated borehole, among many other capital-intensive factors, are some of the key registration requirements put in place by the regulatory authorities. These measures are capital-intensive and regrettably, financial support is not readily available. However, for herbal practitioners to function as their counterparts in China and India, we need private-public collaboration. I am committed to standardizing my products and one of the very first things I did is to trademark Worowo.
One of the criticisms that easily beset herbal medicine is that practitioners are shy of scientific scrutiny, that many of the solutions can’t withstand rigorous checks as is done in medical science. Why are practitioners not subjecting herbal solutions to regulatory oversight?
More people have continued to resort to herbal use in the treatments of various ailments and this is a big encouragement for us. But Nigeria still needs to fully optimize the full benefits of traditional medicine. Herbs will always remain an alternative and one of the most effective ways of ensuring a healthier Nigeria. We need financial support to upgrade our products to meet global standards.
What causes low sperm count, what are the symptoms? Is low sperm count different from erectile dysfunction?
Semen becomes watery when the white blood cell is infected. Overheating the body, especially the testicles, is a known cause of low sperm count and a man will know when he suffers from this ailment. First, the semen will be watery and it won’t be able to hold in a woman’s body immediately after intercourse. The semen runs down the thigh. Besides, the man’s body will be unnecessarily hot and he will start feeling weak as his blood is no longer strong enough like before.
Erectile dysfunction is a different ball game. It’s possible for a man to have an erection during intercourse and suffer watery sperm. On the other hand, a man may have productive semen and still suffer from erectile dysfunction as a result of stress and excessive alcohol consumption.
It appears many more young people are afflicted with erectile dysfunction and low sperm count than ever before. What advice do you have for young men that will help prevent low sperm count?
People should go for periodic tests to know their health status and again, we should try to stay away from where there is excessive heat. People should be vigilant and monitor sudden changes in their body systems. When they notice these changes, they should go for a test or consult their doctor.
In your view, are members of the traditional medicine sector collaborating enough with the government and other critical stakeholders? How can this sector be improved?
There is a strong collaboration between practitioners of traditional and orthodox medicine, with the government providing the right link for synergy. For example, the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Board of Traditional Medicine now work as partners. We can recommend patients as registered herbal practitioners to Lagos State General Hospital and the patients will be admitted and treated. But we need the government to do more by building traditional medicine centers across the country to give people wider options.
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Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
