Health Ministry moves to integrate traditional medicine into mainstream healthcare

Ghana's Deputy Minister for Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, is advocating for greater integration of scientifically validated traditional medicine into the country's mainstream healthcare system. She believes that when properly researched, regulated, and manufactured to approved standards, traditional medicine could significantly expand access to safe and quality healthcare.

During a visit to the Centre of Awareness (COA) Research and Manufacturing Company in the Central Region, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah inspected the company's facilities to ensure they met Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). She emphasized that Ghana could learn from countries like China, where traditional and conventional medicine are used together to complement healthcare delivery.

The government's Free Primary Healthcare program, which focuses on preventive and promotive healthcare, presents an opportunity to explore how traditional medicine could contribute to primary healthcare delivery. Prof. Ayensu-Danquah highlighted non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, as potential areas where traditional medicine could make a difference, provided it meets scientific validation and appropriate regulation.

The CEO of COA Manufacturing Company, Prof. Samuel Ato Duncan, welcomed the government's efforts to develop the traditional medicine sector to complement national healthcare programs, including the Free Primary Healthcare initiative. He stated that the company is conducting research into the health benefits of its products, including their potential applications in managing cancer and viral diseases.

Collaboration between traditional medicine practitioners, researchers, and government institutions is crucial to unlocking the sector's potential and strengthening its evidence base, according to Prof. Duncan. Prof. Ayensu-Danquah committed to continuing her ministry's work with stakeholders to strengthen research, quality assurance, manufacturing, and regulation within the traditional medicine sector, with the broader objective of improving healthcare outcomes in Ghana.