Traditional medicines to be legally protected

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister

Medicines developed by traditional healers will soon enjoy legal protection. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister, says the department will soon table legislation on intellectual property rights for such medicines.

The issue of exploitation by researchers has been high on the agenda of the two-day conference on the inclusion of traditional medicine in the mainstream health system. Tshabalala-Msimang says they will make sure indigenous discoveries are protected.

The minister said not all traditional medicine needs to be tested for the national health department to endorse it. Traditional health will receive an allocation in the next health budget. This will be used for a traditional health directorate within the department.