Ovono Nkomo is the first Gabonese to obtain a PhD in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

As early as 2004, Nkomo decided to bring TCM to his hometown in Gabon after witnessing the incredible effects of TCM during an internship at a Shanghai hospital. However, nobody supported his idea, as he was only a year away from obtaining a bachelor's degree in Western medicine supported by a government scholarship.

"In Gabon, we just belong to Western medicine. This is normal," Dr. Nkomo, a member of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, told CGTN. "We need good communication and good roads to develop Western medicine. We need money." 

"But for Chinese medicine, we have a natural access. Chinese medicine is cheaper," he continued.

Making a difference

In September 2005, Nkomo started his TCM studies at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine in east China's Jiangsu Province, financing it out of pocket through part-time jobs. Because of his outstanding academic results, he received a scholarship from the Chinese government and obtained a doctorate in acupuncture and moxibustion in 2016.

According to UNAIDS, sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most AIDS-affected regions of the world. However, Western medicine is not effective in treating AIDS-related lung infection since it can easily become drug resistant.

Dr. Ovono Nkomo practices Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. /CGTN Photo

Through his 10 years of study, Nkomo gained a deeper understanding of the value of TCM. In 2015, during his doctoral study, Nkomo carried out groundbreaking clinical research on using grain-moxibustion to treat patients with AIDS-related lung infection in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

"For people with AIDS-related lung infection, grain-moxibustion can greatly alleviate their symptoms and boost their immune system," Nkomo's tutor Xu Bin, professor at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, told CGTN.

"TCM aims to strengthen people's immune system to fight against viruses, while Western therapy focuses on killing the viruses. This is the feature of TCM," Xu said. 

Compared with Western medicine, TCM not only operates at a much lower cost, but also has greater clinical advantages in treating chronic symptoms and preventing disease.

Chinese medicine is playing a greater role in human healthcare worldwide.

In 2015, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Tu and her team, inspired by the traditional works of TCM, discovered and extracted the new drug artemisinin from the Chinese herbal medicine Artemisia annua. Since its application, artemisinin has cured millions of malaria patients.

"Through my research and experience in studying antimalarial artemisinin, I feel that Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths and complement each other," Tu noted. "When they have complementary advantages, they have greater development potential and ensure a bright future."

On May 25 this year, traditional medicine originating from TCM was incorporated into the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) during the 72nd World Health Assembly.

On a global scale, TCM has spread to 183 countries and regions as of 2018. According to the World Health Organization, 109 member states reported the presence of a legal or regulatory framework for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM), and 45 member states reported the coverage of T&CM by their health insurance.

"China pays equal attention to both TCM and Western therapy. They work together to safeguard the health of the Chinese people," Xu said. "As TCM goes global, Chinese medicine will be making more contributions to the well-being of mankind in collaboration with Western therapy."

The journey continues

Dr. Ovono Nkomo at work in Gabon. /CGTN Photo

Dr. Nkomo has returned to Gabon and is giving free TCM treatment to villagers living in remote rural areas. He has launched a TCM promotion program with the plan of building a school and hospital.

"In Gabon, the average life span is about 50 years old. If I have this possibility, even a little bit, to promote the (TCM) lifestyle to Gabonese people, then I can help them have a little longer than before. This is my big dream," Dr. Nkomo said.