Traditional Medicine in Africa: A Viewpoint

The term “traditional medicine” (TAM) refers to practices and knowledge that existed before the arrival of modern conventional medicine which were used to promote, maintain and restore health and well-being. In industrialized countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed “Complementary” or “Alternative” (
CAM). Worldwide, people developed unique indigenous healing traditions adapted and defined by their culture, beliefs and environment, which satisfied the health needs of communities over centuries.

According to the World Health Organization, traditional medicine has a central role to play in the 21^st century. Partnerships between communities of traditional medicine, public health and health research have great potential, particularly in areas of prevention and management for diseases like HIV-AIDS, TB, Malaria and others, as well as chronic diseases. The World Health Organization launched its first ever comprehensive traditional medicine strategy in 2002. The strategy is designed to assist countries to:

• Develop national policies on the evaluation and regulation of TM/CAM practices;
• Create a stronger evidence base on the safety, efficacy and quality of the TAM/CAM products and practices;
• Ensure availability and affordability of TM/CAM including essential herbal medicines;
• Promote therapeutically sound use of TM/CAM by providers and consumers;
• Document traditional medicines and remedies.

At present, WHO is supporting clinical studies on antimalarials in three African countries; the studies are revealing good potential for herbal antimalarials.In contrast, African concepts of health and medicine have been portrayed as nothing more than witchcraft by Hollywood and the Western media. Nevertheless, some of these herbal medicines have indeed been proven effective against Aids-related opportunistic infections. For example, there is some data from clinical trials (which are always hard to finance when they involve non-patentable natural products) to show that at least some of these medicines are effective.

Dr Sandra Anderson of UNAIDS, South Africa, has noted that “Traditional health practitioners occupy a critical role in African societies and are making a valuable contribution to Aids prevention and care”Elsewhere, Professor Charles Wambebe, head of Nigeria’s National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, reported preliminary clinical data on a Nigerian herbal medicine that seems to increase CD4-cell counts and lead to improvements in HIV-related illnesses. (CD4-cells help protect the human body from infections. The HIV virus attacks these cells and uses them to make more copies of HIV. In doing so, the CD4 cell is unable to protect the body).

In sub-Saharan Africa at least 80 per cent of the people rely on traditional healers. Their popularity is a result of their availability. For example, in Mozambique there is one physician for every 50,000 people compared to one traditional healer for every 200. Traditional healers remain popular because they are also accessible, affordable, adaptable and culturally familiar and thus acceptable. They are also respected in the wider community.

Africa’s traditional healers can be most instrumental in HIV and Aids prevention. For starters, these specialists treat most of the cases of STDs and experts believe that STDs are major co-factors in the spread of HIV. Secondly, in developing countries with poor infrastructure, these healers are located in nearly every rural village setting as well as in the busy urban areas. Therefore, they are a godsend to Africa’s cash-strapped health ministries since they are already “on the ground.

However, despite their knowledge and popularity, traditional healers are given a raw deal by Western medical experts. True collaboration, however, requires a measure of respect for indigenous medicine and African culture generally. It also requires the shedding of stereotypes of African traditional healers. Most important of all, is the search for a common ground between western biomedicine and traditional healers and building upon that common ground. Combining forces with healers to combat HIV and Aids and promote public health makes good sense.

How many millions of dollars in development aid have been wasted on failed public health programs and how many lives could have been saved if only Western donors and policy-makers had a little more faith in Africa’s traditional ways and gave Africans a real say in policy design and implementation?

Additional Information from:

http://www.who.int/medicines_technologies/trm_day/en/
http://www.procultura.org/AFRICA.htm
http://www.jstor.org/view/00083968/ap020060/02a00010/0