Unlicensed traditional medicine practitioners to face legal action – Council

The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) says traditional, complimentary and integrative medicine practitioners who fail to renew or secure license with the Council will face legal action.

In a statement to commemorate the African Traditional Medicine Day on August 31, 2024, the Council said per Section 9 of the TMPC Act, 2000 (Act 575), it was illegal for a person to operate a premises as a practitioner or produce herbal medicine for sale without registering with the Council.

The statement, signed by Dr. Michael Kyeremateng, Registrar, TMPC, advised all practitioners to renew or secure licenses with the Council to promote public safety in the administration of herbal medicines.

“Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) and traditional medicine are critical components of the healthcare discipline for millions of our people, especially in the rural areas. It is through regulated practice that a meaningful contribution of the THPs in Primary Healthcare activities would be enhanced and facilitated,” the Council said.

Traditional medicine refers to the knowledge, skills and practises based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.

The TMPC noted that herbal treatments were the most popular form of traditional medicine and about 70 to 80 per cent of the population used herbal treatments as their source of primary healthcare.

“One-third of the population lacks access to essential medicines and the provision of safe and effective traditional medicines could become an important way of increasing access to healthcare services,” the statement said.

African Traditional Medicine Day is celebrated annually on August 31^st. The Day was established by the World Health Organisation in 2003 to recognise the importance of traditional medicine in Africa and to promote the integration of traditional medicine into national health systems across the continent.

The Day highlights the contributions of traditional medicine to the health and well-being of African populations.

Traditional medicine, which includes herbal medicine, spiritual healing, and indigenous health practices, has been used for centuries in Africa and remains a vital component of healthcare for many communities.

GNA