The 2019 World Health Organizations Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine has rated Ghana’s Traditional Herbal Medicine Practice as the best in the Sub -Region.
Ghana was also highly commended for Capacity Building, Policy Formulation and Regulation, integration of Traditional Herbal Medicine into mainstream Healthcare Research as well as Promotion, Development of inventories and Monographs in Medicinal Plants.
The Acting Director of Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anastasias Yirenkyi said this at the 17th Commemoration of the African Traditional Medicine Week in Accra.
The WHO’s global report reviewed progress in Traditionl and Complementry Medicine in the last 20 years is based on contributions from 179 member countries.
It provides valuable information for policy-makers, health professionals and the public for capitalising on the potential contribution of traditional and complementary medicine to health and well-being.
Dr. Yirenkyi said Ghana’s success story is as a result of years of evolution of traditional medicine in its various forms to play a true significant role in healthcare delivery.
This, she attributed to deliberate policy to redefine and encourage the enhancement of the capacities of players in the sector.
Dr. Yirenkyi said if activities such as illegal mining are not stopped, it will be very difficult for Ghana to sustain the success chalked up in the development of traditional herbal medicine.
The WHO country Representative to Ghana, Dr. Laws Kaluwa commended Ghana for the strides in integrating traditional herbal medicine into the curricula of Universities.
He therefore called for an effective collaboration between academia, manufacturers and research institutionsto maintain the strides made to achieve full integration.
The President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association, GHAFTRAM, Kojo Odum Eduful, appealed to the traditional herbal medicine training institutions to expand the scope of teaching to cover other aspects of traditional medicine practice.
A cloth for the 20th traditional medicine week was outdoored.
Story filed by Seth Eyiah
.
