31st August 21012 was the African traditional medicine day.The theme for this day was"A decade of Traditional Medicine development.What are the impact?
The significance of this day is to rise awareness of the critical role that traditional medicine plays to improve peoples lives.It is estimated that almost 80% of the African population use traditional medicine.
Tanzania has in particular promoted traditional medicine use and at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare there is a special unit that coordinates traditional medicine use in the country. More over there is a Traditional medicine Institute at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences that has done allot of research in traditional medicine.
The National Institute for Medical research has for more than a decade researched on traditional medicine. The research has resulted in a range of modernized traditional medicines all based on indigenous Tanzanian herbs available in various formulations. For instance, Perscan for control of diabetes and Cholesterol, Warbugistat for opportunistic infections for HIV/AIDS and TMS2001 for Malaria and fever ( Trade marks can change). The availability of these medicines provides an opportunity for people to choose between Western and traditional medicine.
Therefore, there is a need of deliberate efforts to sustain these developments and encourage local industrial production of traditional medicines so that quality is ensured.
However, there is a need of coordinating the provision of traditional medicine so that people get optimal benefits than being cheated and hence being impoverished by catastrophic expenditures from unregistered traditional healers who are not faithful.Also there is a need to keep an eye open to the mushrooming of spiritual healers. The recent Loliondo miracle cure saga has left several scars in the Tanzania alternative medicine practice.
The significance of this day is to rise awareness of the critical role that traditional medicine plays to improve peoples lives.It is estimated that almost 80% of the African population use traditional medicine.
Tanzania has in particular promoted traditional medicine use and at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare there is a special unit that coordinates traditional medicine use in the country. More over there is a Traditional medicine Institute at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences that has done allot of research in traditional medicine.
The National Institute for Medical research has for more than a decade researched on traditional medicine. The research has resulted in a range of modernized traditional medicines all based on indigenous Tanzanian herbs available in various formulations. For instance, Perscan for control of diabetes and Cholesterol, Warbugistat for opportunistic infections for HIV/AIDS and TMS2001 for Malaria and fever ( Trade marks can change). The availability of these medicines provides an opportunity for people to choose between Western and traditional medicine.
Therefore, there is a need of deliberate efforts to sustain these developments and encourage local industrial production of traditional medicines so that quality is ensured.
However, there is a need of coordinating the provision of traditional medicine so that people get optimal benefits than being cheated and hence being impoverished by catastrophic expenditures from unregistered traditional healers who are not faithful.Also there is a need to keep an eye open to the mushrooming of spiritual healers. The recent Loliondo miracle cure saga has left several scars in the Tanzania alternative medicine practice.
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