The government is set to establish a regulatory council to oversee traditional medicine practitioners. Traditional healers have for sometime advocated legislation to govern their profession, aiming to root out fraudsters and enhance the safety of their clients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as the collective knowledge, skills, and practices based on theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to various cultures.
These practices are used in maintaining health and preventing, diagnosing, improving, or treating physical and mental illnesses, regardless of whether they are scientifically explicable.
The impending regulations will provide a locally tailored definition of traditional medicine and criteria for identifying qualified practitioners.
Dr. Joel Bahoza, the head of Specialized Health Services and a specialist in Alternative and Traditional Medicine Development at the Ministry of Health (MoH), confirmed that the legislative process for traditional medicine is progressing.
He noted that crafting effective laws is a complex endeavor involving multiple stages, and the proposed law is currently awaiting cabinet approval.
Gertrude Nyirahabineza, a traditional medicine practitioner, expressed optimism about the impending law. She believes it will bring much-needed structure to the traditional medicine sector, alleviating the confusion and disorder that have often plagued it, including the sale of such medicines on the streets.
According to the WHO, approximately 88 percent of all countries worldwide employ traditional medicine, including herbal remedies and indigenous therapies. One hundred seventy Member States have reported using traditional medicine, and they have requested evidence and data from the WHO to guide the formulation of policies, standards, and regulatory frameworks that ensure safe, cost-effective, and equitable utilization of these practices.
Traditional medicine has served as a vital healthcare resource for centuries across diverse communities globally. For some individuals who lack access to conventional medicine, it remains an essential healthcare option.
The WHO also emphasizes that traditional medicine has contributed to significant medical breakthroughs and continues to hold immense promise. Dr. John Reeder, WHO Director of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and Director of the Department of Research for Health, stated in August that the advancement of scientific research in traditional medicine should adhere to the same rigorous standards as other healthcare fields.
This may necessitate innovative methodologies to address the holistic and contextual nature of traditional medicine and provide conclusive and robust evidence to support policy recommendations.
