The World Health Organization on Monday called for stronger research, regulation and investment to bring traditional medicine safely into African health systems. The appeal, issued for the 24th African Traditional Medicine Day on August 31, links evidence-based traditional care with efforts to expand universal health coverage across the continent.
The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre and the WHO Regional Office for Africa convened a discussion involving researchers, traditional practitioners and community voices. Participants said traditional medicine remains a living system of knowledge and can support primary care when governments and health institutions test treatments, oversee products and practices, and invest in responsible development.
WHO said traditional practitioners are often the first point of contact for care, particularly in rural communities. The agency's regional overview says 70% to 80% of people in Africa have used a form of traditional medicine as primary health care, while one third of the population lacks access to essential medicines, underlining both the potential role and the need for safeguards.
Speakers urged closer cooperation among researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, communities and practitioners, along with greater domestic funding for research and development. They also emphasized documenting knowledge that is commonly passed between generations, so it can be preserved, studied and assessed for quality, safety and effectiveness rather than accepted without evidence.
The approach reflects the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy for 2025 to 2034, adopted by the World Health Assembly. Its four priorities are strengthening evidence, ensuring safety through regulation, integrating appropriate practices into health systems and making responsible use of traditional medicine's wider social and economic value. WHO presents integration as a complement to biomedicine, not a replacement for proven clinical care.
Commemorations were planned in Cameroon, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. WHO said progress will depend on empowering practitioners while protecting patients, conserving biodiversity and turning credible research into accessible services. The next phase will require countries to translate the global strategy into national rules, investment decisions and monitored health programmes.
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