By Anke Weisheit (Guest blogger)
Countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America use traditional medicine ™ to help meet some of their primary health care needs. In Africa, up to 80% of the population uses traditional medicine for primary health care. In industrialized countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed “Complimentary“ or “Alternative” (CAM). (WHO Fact sheet 2007).
A report of the Meeting of Commonwealth Health Related NGO’s Barbados 12th - 15th November, 1998 ideated that in the industrialised countries of the Commonwealth complementary medicine predominates and is largely utilised by the more affluent members of society. In the non-industrialised countries, traditional medicine is the predominant form of healthcare and is more widely used by different sections of society, particularly the poor and rural communities.
For example In Germany, 90% of the population has used a natural remedy at some point in their life. Between 1995 and 2000, In Germany, 90% of the populations have used a natural remedy at some point in their life. Between 1995 and 2000 and The global market for herbal medicines currently stands at over US $ 60 billion annually and is growing steadily and 25% of all modern medicines are made from plants first used traditionally.
I was privileged to attend the workshop: Prioritise Health – Realise Potential at the 2007 Commonwealth People’s Forum. I realised that traditional and complimentary medicine issues where not addressed in this 2-day meeting. As alternative therapies play a vital role in serving the people worldwide, it is also important it is integrated in the debate in this forum.
There is a need to:
- Integrate proven alternative and traditional healing practices in to the health systems
- Develop national policies on the evaluation and regulation of TM/CAM practices;
- Provide adequate resources to conduct research for evidence and safety, efficacy and improvement of the quality of the TAM/CAM products and practices;
- Ensure accessibility, availability and affordability of TMCAM
- Promote proven alternative and traditional healing practices by providers and consumers;
- Provide a clear basis on collaboration with indigenous knowledge holders users on mutual benefit sharing
Anke Weisheit, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
