Celebrating the potential of traditional African medicines

Celebrating the potential of traditional African medicines

Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving the use of indigenous herbalism and aspects of African spirituality. African Traditional Medicine Day is celebrated annually on 31 August. South Africa has long been home to some of the world’s most loved natural remedies, such as buchu, the aloe and the African potato. But the global pandemic has brought renewed interest in African traditional medicines, with a particular interest in indigenous medicines and their potential as Covid-19 remedies.

The difficulties of regulation

The majority of the continent relies on traditional medicine for their basic health needs, and in some cases, this is the only healthcare service available, accessible and affordable. In South Africa, the government has committed itself to the involvement of traditional healers in official healthcare services. The Department of Health has taken steps toward the official recognition and institutionalisation of African traditional medicine by establishing a directorate of Traditional Medicine. The Department has also enacted the Traditional Health Practitioners Act which established the Interim Traditional Health Practitioners Council.

South Africa has a large number of practising traditional healers and millions of citizens who use their medicines and traditional health care practices stand. Yet this sector stands outside of mainstream, Western healthcare sectors.

While there have been efforts to produce some sort of regulation for traditional healers, many of their remedies have not been scientifically evaluated. There has also been lobbying from some organisations, such as the Traditional Healers’ Organisation, for selfregulation in the sector.

In addition, the government has struggled to provide a comprehensive framework for approaching traditional medicine. In 2008, the government published a draft policy for traditional medicines. This was never signed into effect. The 2013 Bioeconomy Strategy laid out plans to investigate herbal cures, but the government has yet to implement a system to formally evaluate traditional medicines.

However, this is slowly changing. In 2015, legislation was passed to create the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). The organisation has been a strong advocate of traditional medicine, especially during the pandemic, and has begun considering appropriate mechanisms for regulating proprietary African traditional medicines.

More recently, the Department of Science and Innovation has committed to funding studies looking at the use of traditional African medicines, especially as treatments for Covid-19, and as immune modulators and anti-viral therapeutics.

The World Health Organisation’s regional expert committee on traditional medicine has endorsed protocols for traditional clinical trials, and these protocols are being finalised.

A new interest in traditional remedies

In the last two years, some South African traditional remedies that have been under scrutiny, for their potential in treating the symptoms of Covid-19, have been under increased study.

The University of Free State (UFS) has conducted clinical trials to test traditional medicine for their ability to treat Covid-19 patients. Among those are Phela, a traditional medicine developed through the UFS and the Department of Science and Innovation, for the treatment of HIV.The medicine is believed to be effective as an immune modulator and benefiting persons with a compromised immune system. Another herbal remedy that has been under investigation is dubbed Product Nkabinde, which was also initially considered for the treatment of HIV. The extracts in this medicine are believed to have antiviral properties.

However, traditional African medicines could not only unlock treatments for some of the illnesses medical practitioners are currently battling, it could also have a significant economic impact. Estimates place the value of the traditional medicine sector at around R20-billion a year. The sector also creates more than 350 000. The farming of traditional medicinal plants could also lead to job opportunities, with every hectare of land used for the cultivation of medicinal plants creating at least two permanent jobs annually.

This is supported by the economic impact the legalisation of cannabis has had – an estimated R28- million is entering the economy every year.

Motlalepula Matsabisa, Associate Professor of Pharmacology in Traditional Medicines at the University of the Free State and current chairperson of WHO’s Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicines, says Africa has the potential to lead the development of traditional medicines.

"My vision is for Africato share our valuableresources with the world bydeveloping and distributingworld-class medicinalsolutions,” he says.

"We are more than capableof doing so, and now is thetime to do it."