Jamaica may have the cure for cancer – Portia Simpson Miller

Simpson Miller made the declaration while speaking earlier this morning at the launch of the National Export Strategy – Phase II, at the Terra Nova hotel in Kingston.

She went on to say that greater emphasis should be placed on the nutraceuticals industry where Jamaica has a competitive advantage which could help boost its exports.

Last year, Jamaican scientist Dr Henry Lowe was granted a patent (Number 8907117) by the United States of America Patent Office for biomedical remedies for cancer treatment. For the last 10 years, Dr Lowe and his team at Bio-Tech R&D Institute have been isolating chemical compounds from the Ball Moss plant in Jamaica.

The Prime Minister said in her address that many older Jamaicans still remember as children that, when they were sick, their parents would go into the back garden, pick out a plant, boil it down and give it to their children to drink.

“ In no time, you would be well and strong, ready to play with your friends. I think we need to do research into the healing properties of our plants. This is something we can export to the world,” said the Prime Minister.

According to a report on companiesandmarkets.com the nutraceuticals industry is growing rapidly with a 2016 forecast value of US$207 billion. The term “neutraceutical” combines two words- “ nutrient” ( a nourishing food component) and “ pharmaceutical” ( a medical drug).

The name was coined in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, a founder and chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine in New Jersey, United States.