Accra, Dec. 17, – The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on African countries to intensify efforts to integrate traditional medicine into primary healthcare systems as a key pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Dr Angela Ackon, Technical Officer for Quality and Safety at the WHO Country Office in Ghana, said building capacity in the sector was critical, and indicated that the Organization would continue to offer technical support, particularly in research, to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine.
She made the appeal at a high-level session during the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA 2025), underway in Accra.
The meeting was held under the theme: “Africa in Action: Catalysing Integrated and Resilient Health Systems for Sustainable Responses to end HIV, Other Infectious Diseases, and Emerging Threats.”
Dr Ackon noted that global statistics indicate that about 80 per cent of the world’s population uses traditional medicine, with Africa reflecting similar usage patterns, signalling strong acceptance of such therapies.
She said the number of registered traditional medicine products on the continent had risen from 20 in 2000 to 100 in 2023, while funding for related research had more than doubled over the same period.
According to her, these developments demonstrate steady progress in several indicators linked to traditional medicine. She encouraged African governments to expand herbal medicine units and include approved traditional medicine products under national health insurance schemes to deepen collaboration between traditional and orthodox practitioners.
She stated that Ghana had increased health facilities integrating traditional medicine from 19 in 2012 to 55 in 2023, placing it on par with Tanzania, which operates systems combining both traditional and biomedical care.
Delivering a presentation on “Global Perspectives on Integrating Traditional Medicine into Primary Healthcare,” Dr Ackon cited China, Vietnam, Japan and Korea as examples of countries that have fully integrated traditional medicine and are achieving strong outcomes.
She said integration improves access and equity, especially for underserved communities, while promoting holistic, patient-centred care associated with better disease management and fewer adverse reactions.
Dr Ackon outlined WHO initiatives aimed at advancing traditional medicine and urged stakeholders to back policy reforms, drive innovation, and engage communities to ensure that traditional medicine products remain safe, effective and relevant.
Dr Mavis Boakye-Yiadom, Head of the Department of Clinical Research at the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, speaking on “Strengthening the Role of Traditional Medicine in Primary Healthcare in West Africa,” noted that although 55 facilities in Ghana currently integrate traditional medicine, prescribed herbal products are still not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
She cited challenges relating to safety and efficacy assessments and underscored the need for common standards for traditional medicine products.
She warned that many medicinal plants risk extinction because they are harvested but not replanted.
“We rely on plants, but we are not replacing them as required. Over time, some species may disappear. We need to expand plant medicine farms to avoid reaching a point where we have no raw materials,” she said.
ICASA 2025, organised by the Society for AIDS in Africa, is taking place from December 3–8 and has attracted about 3,000 participants, including experts, policymakers, researchers, community leaders, partners and officials from 85 African countries.
GHBUSS
No comments:
Post a Comment