Traditional medicine to get budget slice

The traditional medicines sector will soon be recognised in the budget, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister, said today.

Speaking at a traditional medicine workshop in Benoni, Tshabalala-Msimang also said her department would speed up the process of establishing an interim traditional health council. Her department has established a directorate for traditional medicine. Adjustments are still pending in the department's budget.

"There is a great deal of literature on traditional medicine in India, the Philippines and China. We need to establish this for African medicine." She also said developing countries were appreciating the value of traditional medicines and alternative practices, pointing out that Britain's Prince Charles had been a supporter of the concept.

On HIV/Aids, where Tshabalala-Msimang's standpoint is the centre of controversy, she cautioned that some antiretrovirals can cause cancer. "We have got to keep all these (side effects) in our minds," she warned. She later said some people have got cancer from ARVs but did not wish to elaborate further. "Let's rather stick to traditional medicine." - Sapa