Traditional African medicine grows in popularity across continent amid challenges

Traditional African medicine, which combines indigenous herbal remedies with spiritual practices, is seeing a growing preference in many parts of Africa, even as it faces challenges such as regulation, malpractice and the presence of fraudsters.

This time-honored practice, deeply embedded in the continent’s diverse cultures, involves a wide array of healing methods, including the use of medicinal herbs, plants, foods and rituals.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 80 percent of Africans rely on this extensive and varied system of healing.

Interestingly, a growing number of individuals who have used modern medicine are considering a shift, primarily due to high costs.

However, traditional medicine faces significant challenges. Issues such as regulation, standardization and the presence of “quacks”—unqualified individuals posing as legitimate practitioners—are major concerns.

Ruth Nyangacha, deputy director at the Center for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research (CTMDR) within the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the national body responsible for carrying out research in human health in Kenya, highlights the need for legal frameworks to ensure the proper regulation of traditional medicine.

“Without any hesitation at all, I would say that Kenya is very keen in having laws that regulate traditional and alternative medicine in Kenya. And because we know that when there’s legislation, there’s provision for having regulation and standardization of these traditional and alternative medicines. There’s also provisions for criminalizing malpractice in the profession, and there is provisions also for conservation of medicinal plants that are used in this practice,” she said.

She also points out that the infiltration of quacks undermines the credibility of traditional medicine.

“When we talk about quacks, what happens is that we are also thinking about what happens to these products, so you find that when there’s malpractice, there’s a possibility of intentional adulteration of these products with even conventional medicine,” Nyangacha said.

“For example, we just finished a study whereby we were looking at herbal formulations indicated for diabetes and cancer in the country and we collected samples from Nairobi and Eldoret. And we were able to see that some of these samples had metformin, which is a conventional drug for diabetes. So it looks like the patient is getting better, but in a real sense, maybe this medicinal product is laced with some of these drugs, sometimes it’s just laced with a pain killer,” she explained.

Organizations such as the Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH) are working to address these issues by educating the public and promoting the authentic benefits of traditional medicine amidst a flood of misinformation.

KEMRI reports a growing body of scientific research supporting the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants. To fully unlock the benefits of traditional medicine in Kenya, experts advocate for comprehensive legislation, regulation, research and collaboration in all matters pertaining to traditional medicine.

Traditional African medicine grows in popularity across continent amid challenges

Officials of Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) reiterated their demand for a full Israeli troops pullout from the Gaza Strip and stated that Hamas will not negotiate any new conditions for a ceasefire agreement.

The remarks came in response to Hamas’ absence from a new round of ceasefire talks held on Thursday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The talks involved Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Israel.

On Thursday, a senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said that Hamas is committed to the ceasefire negotiation process and urges the mediators to ensure that Israel accepts Hamas’ previously agreed upon plan to end the conflict and withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza.

On the same day, another senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that Hamas believes no further negotiations are needed, and there is no need for a new agreement — Israel should simply accept the ceasefire plan previously proposed by the U.S. and agreed to by Hamas.

Hamdan also accused the U.S. of failing to pressure Israel to agree to the ceasefire deal and Israel of obstructing the negotiation process.

On May 31, the U.S. President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase proposal, involving a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’s Politburo, said that the ceasefire negotiations must be based on a clear plan that can implement the content agreed upon by all parties. He noted that the Israeli army has not ceased their bombing and strikes in Gaza at present, which is an obstacle to reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Badran noted that any agreement must achieve the following goals, including a comprehensive ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, the return of displaced persons to their homes, the reconstruction of Gaza, and a prisoner exchange.

Jibril Rajoub, secretary general of the Central Committee of Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), said that Palestine hopes that the new round of ceasefire negotiations will serve as the real beginning of ending the conflict, as well as the first step towards achieving regional stability and eliminating threats.

On Thursday, the Security Cabinet of Israel also held a meeting in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media reports.

Benny Gantz, the leader of Israel’s opposition party and a former member of the country’s war cabinet, issued a statement on the same day, urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible to facilitate the release of the Israelis who are being held captive by Hamas.

Netanyahu has been delaying the ceasefire agreement for political considerations, said Gantz.

Hamas demands complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza: officials