A Soil Scientist at the University of Ghana has defended claims by herbal medicine practitioners that a single herbal preparation can cure many diseases. Prof. Seth K.A. Danso says scientific research findings have shown that herbal preparations are indeed potent enough to cure more than one ailment. Public health authorities have often complained about what they say are wild claims by herbal practitioners about the efficacy of their products. Some of the orthodox practitioners have even called for a total ban on the sale of such products. Prof. Danso however says although some of the claims may be exaggerated, a lot more are well grounded. He was speaking to Myjoyonline.com on the sidelines of a training workshop organized by the Ghana Academy OF Arts and Sciences (GAAS) on Communicating Science for journalists in Accra. Prof. Danso, who is also the Director of the Ecological Laboratory at the University of Ghana, expressed regret that despite the existence of simple explanations to some of the issues affecting Ghanaians, many had continued to wallow in superstitions. He emphasized the need for scientists in Ghana to make themselves available to help explain some of the issues. For instance, he said, people with chronic sores often attribute them to curses and spiritism or spiritual attacks when the cause of such sores could easily be diabetes.