Inside Nigeria’s ‘Amazon Clinic’ — A Traditional Birth Attendant’s Risky Practice with Unapproved Herbal Drugs

In a quiet corner of Nigeria, a makeshift clinic dubbed the "Amazon Clinic" is raising serious public health concerns. Run by a self-styled traditional birth attendant, the facility is known for offering herbal remedies and birth services — but without any official approval or medical supervision.

What’s troubling is that this clinic doesn’t just operate outside the formal healthcare system — it actively replaces approved treatments with homemade herbal mixtures. These concoctions, with unknown ingredients and no scientific backing, are being sold as cures for everything from infertility to infections, and even used during childbirth.

Women in vulnerable communities, desperate for affordable healthcare and trusting of traditional practices, are turning to the Amazon Clinic for help. But medical experts warn that these unregulated practices can cause serious harm, including life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Despite growing concerns, the clinic continues to operate — a symptom of deeper issues in Nigeria’s healthcare system: limited access to affordable care, widespread poverty, and weak regulatory enforcement.

Health authorities are now being urged to investigate and intervene before more lives are put at risk. While traditional medicine has a place in African culture, experts stress the need for safety, regulation, and a balance between heritage and science.