Sundaymail Editor
Online Reporter
Zimbabwe joined the rest of the continent today in commemorating African Traditional Medicine, with stakeholders calling for increased use of traditional medicines.
The African Traditional Medicine Day is commemorated on August 31 every year to promote the important role of the continent’s rich biodiversity of medicinal plants and herbs in improving well-being.
Promotion of Traditional Medicine, Preserving Culture, Education, Research, Advocacy and Development (PROMETRA), an organisation that promotes the use of traditional medicine, organised the local commemorations.
PROMETRA executive chairman Mr Beaven Munyengeterwa said the use of traditional medicines as an alternative should be changed.
He said traditional medicine should be viewed as substantive medicine as our ancestors have been using it since time immemorial
“Back in the day there were no injections and antibiotics. Our ancestors used traditional medicines and they were and still are effective,” he said.
The African Traditional Medicine Day was established to promote the use of indigenous medicinal plants combined with aspects of African spirituality.
On August 31, 2000 African Health Ministers adopted the relevant resolution at the 50th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Traditional Medical Practitioners Council (TPMC) registrar Mrs Joyce Guwa said her organisation encourages traditional medicine practitioners to come forth with their remedies and solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic for research to establish the safety and efficacy of their medicines.
“Because we know people are using traditional medicines, we are encouraging them to bring them forth so that we nationalise the medicine that they are using for combating Covid-19” she said.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter