The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has called for renewed collaboration with stakeholders to strengthen the regulation, safety, and growth of Traditional and Alternative Medicine (TAM) in Ghana. This call was made during a high-level stakeholders' engagement held on September 4, 2025, at the Ministry of Health auditorium in Accra.
The engagement was attended by over 100 participants, including 28 associations, representatives from the Ministry of Health, regulatory agencies, practitioners, and media partners. The TMPC emphasized that over 70% of Ghanaians rely on traditional medicine at some point in their lives, highlighting its importance in the country's healthcare system.
The government has reaffirmed its support for TAM, incorporating it into the 24-hour economy agenda. To improve regulation and monitoring, the TMPC is rolling out digital systems for registration, licensing, and monitoring of practitioners. Stakeholders have also committed to fighting quackery, misinformation, and poor standards.
Prof. Samuel Ato Duncan, TMPC Board Chair, stated, "Traditional medicine is more than a cultural inheritance—it is a driver of health, jobs, and national identity. We must professionalise and protect it." The Minister of Health added, "This sector will play a key role in Ghana’s 24-hour economy. We encourage practitioners to form cooperatives, cultivate medicinal plants, and invest in safe herbal research."
The stakeholders adopted several resolutions, including more regular engagements, stricter enforcement of licensing and registration, guidelines to curb quackery, and stronger collaboration with the Ministry of Health to integrate TAM into the national health system.
The TMPC was established by Act 575 in 2000 to regulate and promote traditional medicine in Ghana. The TAM market in Ghana was valued at GHC 1.7 billion in 2023, and the global industry is worth $200 billion. The World Health Organization recognizes TAM as key to universal health coverage.
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