Africa Traditional Medicine Day commemorated in Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape Health Department and traditional healers have commemorated the Africa Traditional Medicine Day in Ntabankulu on Friday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that traditional medicine be integrated into the health system, as over 80 percent of people from African countries depend on Traditional Medicine.

Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth says students are being trained in Cuba and facilities opened in other countries to strengthen the use of traditional medicines in health departments.

Meth says this will also help grow the economy.

“There’s consistency in terms of our department in ensuring that we engage with traditional practitioners. South Africa is a regulated country. We make sure traditional health practitioners look among themselves on who are mischievous and malicious doing dirty things. We’ve got doctors in Cuba, they’re in advanced integrating both western and traditional medicine.”

Traditional Health Practitioners chairperson, Nomasundu Galoweni says traditional healers and western doctors can work together.

“Our government is able to call traditional healer and western doctors to work together and teach each other how to use their medicine. Before we were not even considered as healers. This shows us that there is a difference in government.”