The annual day is now two decades since its adoption and first commemoration, the theme of this year is "two decades of African traditional medicine day: progress towards achieving universal health coverage in Africa".
The WHO Africa regional director Dr Matshidiso Moeti said in her annual message that the theme gives the opportunity to reflect on the progress towards giving African traditional medicine the prominence it deserves in healthcare systems.
She stated that having research institutes in countries dedicated to research and development, traditional medicine is a promising industry with great commercial potential if it is marketed appropriately internationally.
She called on government to strengthen collaboration between science, technology and innovation institutions, traditional health practitioners and the private sector adding that such collaboration will fast-track research, development, local manufacturing of traditional medicine based therapeutics for the health and well-being of Africans.
Meanwhile as Nigeria marks the event the department of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) of the ministry of health from 30th August to 2nd September hosted traditional and alternative medicine Practitioners to a symposium in Abuja.
Other activities were road walk, exhibition of products and award presentation aimed at creating awareness and deliberations on advancing the role of alternative medicine in the country's health care system.
At the opening of the symposium, the minister of state for health, Barr. Joseph Ekumankama said that traditional medicine has a major role in people’s lives and national development but its innovation is low and remains on individuals.
He said that the availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability of TCAM makes it dependable among communities, reiterating that about 80 per cent of the population, especially those residing in rural communities, patronise TCAM services as their main source of health care.
He expressed commitment towards supporting traditional medicine practitioners in key policies and programmes aimed at promoting and developing various forms of TCAM saying that the progress recorded in traditional medicine is critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage
WHO representative, Dr Francis Ukwuije, a health economist, said that Nigeria is one of the African countries with reported improvement in the availability, affordability, accessibility and safety of traditional nedicine practices.
“There were submissions from Nigeria to the regional expert committee for products developed as therapeutics for COVID-19, the submissions are still under review,” he said.
He said that WHO will continue to provide technical assistance to Nigeria to ensure local manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals and traditional medicine-based therapeutics.
The director and head of the department TCAM Pharmacist Zainab Sharif said that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic opened more concerns on the need to exploit the African treasures by looking inward for local solutions.
She stressed on the need for increased awareness of the values of traditional medicine, investment in research for production of home-grown solutions, well-being and more as pharmaceutical companies in western world needs Africa for alternative therapies.
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