Herbalists advised
Sep 05, 2007
HERBALISTS have been urged to ensure quality and add value to their medicine in order to attract both local and international markets for their products.
By Esther Mukyala
HERBALISTS have been urged to ensure quality and add value to their medicine in order to attract both local and international markets for their products.
The herbalists were also asked to ensure that they sell their goods in a clean environment.
Florence Nakachwa, a drug assessment/registration officer at the National Drug Authority, said the authority would formulate a strategy to regulate and control the manufacturing and distribution of traditional medicine.
She said the measure was aimed at avoiding counterfeits.
“There are people who lie about their products. When they are registered, we shall have all the information regarding their medicine. Registering will also improve the quality of the medicine manufactured.â€
Nakachwa was speaking during a sensitisation workshop on regulatory requirements for local traditional medicines in Uganda held at Zoma Hotels in Jinja on Monday.
She observed that only half of the population in Africa has access to conventional health care.
“Traditional medicine, therefore, continues to be popular for historic and cultural reasons. It is cheaper than conventional medicine.â€
Nakacwa said 80% of traditional herbal medicine is being used in DR Congo, Burkina Faso and South Africa and 70% in Benin, Cote D’ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda and Sudan. Uganda and Tanzania use 60%, while Burundi and Ethiopia use 9%.
HERBALISTS have been urged to ensure quality and add value to their medicine in order to attract both local and international markets for their products.
The herbalists were also asked to ensure that they sell their goods in a clean environment.
Florence Nakachwa, a drug assessment/registration officer at the National Drug Authority, said the authority would formulate a strategy to regulate and control the manufacturing and distribution of traditional medicine.
She said the measure was aimed at avoiding counterfeits.
“There are people who lie about their products. When they are registered, we shall have all the information regarding their medicine. Registering will also improve the quality of the medicine manufactured.â€
Nakachwa was speaking during a sensitisation workshop on regulatory requirements for local traditional medicines in Uganda held at Zoma Hotels in Jinja on Monday.
She observed that only half of the population in Africa has access to conventional health care.
“Traditional medicine, therefore, continues to be popular for historic and cultural reasons. It is cheaper than conventional medicine.â€
Nakacwa said 80% of traditional herbal medicine is being used in DR Congo, Burkina Faso and South Africa and 70% in Benin, Cote D’ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda and Sudan. Uganda and Tanzania use 60%, while Burundi and Ethiopia use 9%.