Less than 15% of traditional medicine practitioners registered — TMPC

Ghana hosts more than 100,000 traditional medicine practitioners, but according to the Traditional Medicine Practice Council’s Registrar, Dr Yakubu Tobor Yusuf, fewer than 15 percent of them are registered under the governing body. This lack of registration is causing challenges in monitoring the sector properly. Dr Yusuf revealed at a media event in Accra for the 2026 African Traditional Medicine Day that the council has been working for the past six months to address this issue by engaging practitioner associations at district levels and establishing new regional and district offices to facilitate registration closer to practitioners.

They have also carried out inspections at over 500 practice locations across the country, cancelling those posing health risks.

Dr Yusuf implores Ghanaians to verify the license of any practitioner, as practicing without a license can lead to penalties such as a fine of up to 500 penalty units or GH¢6,000, a prison term of up to two years, or both. He emphasized that practitioners must renew their licenses annually, which involves continuing professional development and allowing their premises to be re-inspected.

The council is also working to professionalize training for herbalists, bone setters, birth attendants, and spiritual healers through a competency-based curriculum being reviewed by the governing board. This curriculum will be taught in local languages and consider the existing experience of the practitioner. The council is also advocating for more research funding to scientifically test the safety and effectiveness of traditional knowledge.

Notably, approximately 70 percent of Ghanaians rely on traditional and herbal medicine for primary healthcare, underscoring the importance of proper regulation.