Progress report on the implementation of the regional strategy on enhancing hte role of traditional medicine in health systems: 2013­2023 (AFR/RC70/INF. DOC/2)

The Seventieth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held on 25th August 2020, adopted the Progress Report on the Implementation of the Regional Strategy on Enhancing the Role of Traditional Medicine in Health Systems (2013­2023) (Document AFR/RC70/INF.DOC/2).

Launch of the regional expert advisory committee on traditional medicine for COVID-19 Response (REACT)

WHO headquarters, the Regional Office for Africa, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the African Union Commission for Social Affairs jointly launched and chaired the Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine for COVID-19 Response

Progress report on the implementation of the regional strategy on enhancing the role of traditional medicine in health systems (2013­2023) (AFR/RC66/INF. DOC/6)

The report summarizes the progress made by the region following the 2013 adoption of Resolution AF/RC63/R3 on "Enhancing the Role of Traditional Medicines in Health Systems: A Strategy for the African Region". The report focuses on progress made by countries on the institutionalization of traditional medicine, protection of intellectual property rights and traditional medical knowledge (TMK), research and development, human resources capacity, and cooperation and harmonization of regulation.

Enhancing the role of traditional medicine in health systems: a strategy for the African Region (Document AFR/RC63/6)

This resolution sets out a regional strategy for Africa Region. It asks members to accelerate the creation of national traditional medicines policies, strategies and plans, and to link these to budget lines to support implementation. It calls upon members to set up appropriate structures within Ministries of Health to promote, coordinate and monitor multisectoral traditional medicine strategic plans. It further urges members to understand funding needs for traditional medicine research and development and allocate adequate financial resources from national budgets, as well as document and preserve traditional medicine knowledge and practices to protect intellectual property rights. It also focuses on the regulation of traditional medicine practitioners, practices and products and the strengthening of national medicines regulatory authorities, as well as the building of capacity of training institutions to integrate traditional medicine modules in the curricula of health sciences students and health professionals. It further emphasizes the promotion of public-private partnerships to foster investment in the cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants, and seeks members to also support the capacity of professional associations and traditional medicine practitioners' regulatory bodies to identify qualified traditional health practitioners for accreditation or licensing.

Traditional medicine: practices, practitioners and products in the African Region: panel discussion (AFR/RC62/PD)

The Sixty-first session of the Regional Committee in 2011 discussed the progress report on the implementation of both the Regional Traditional Medicine Strategy adopted in 2000 and the plan of action for the Decade of African Traditional Medicine (2001­2010).It also endorsed the proposed next steps for action by stakeholders. The next steps were updating of the Regional Strategy; increasing allocation and mobilization of additional resources to effectively implement the Strategy particularly to conduct research; strengthening the regulation of traditional medicine products, practitioners and practices taking into consideration the Algiers Declaration and the second Decade of African Traditional Medicine (2011­2020). In addition, the Regional Committee proposed "Traditional Medicine: practices, practitioners and products in the African Region" as the topic for the Panel Discussion at the Sixty-second session of the Regional Committee.

Progress report of the sixty-first session of Regional Comittee for report on decade of traditional medicine in the African Region (AFR/RC61/PR/2)

The Conference of African Ministers of Health conference, Tripoli adopted a plan of action for implementation of activities during the Decade of African Traditional Medicine (2001-2010). Progress Report on decade of traditional medicine in the African Region

Progress report on decade of traditional medicine in the African Region (AFR/RC61/PR/2)

The session reported on the decade (2001-2010) of progress made in implementation of both the Regional Strategy on Traditional Medicine and the Decade's Plan of Action. The session notes that the AU Conference of Africa Ministers of Health in Windhoek also discussed End-of-Decade Review report on African Traditional Medicine and renewed the Decade from 2011 to 2020.

Guidelines for Registration of Traditional Medicines in the WHO African Region

WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with the Department of Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy, WHO, organized a series of regional workshops on the regulation of traditional medicinesleading to the publication of this document. The guidelines were subsequently used to train representatives of national drug regulatory authorities from a number of countries within the WHO African Region. The guidelines have been developed to facilitate the registration, marketing and distribution of traditional medicines of assured quality in the WHO African Region. A key section of the guidelines involves the classification of traditional medicines (which can range from the traditional health practitioner's remedies to the traditional medicine derived from scientific research) according to the mode of preparation, the indication and the extent of development of the remedy. Use of this classification system is meant to assist the work of national drug regulatory authorities to assess documentation submitted with the applications for registration of herbal medicines. The guidelines also set out proposals regarding the minimum regulatory requirements for the registration of each category of traditional medicine in terms of the quality of raw plant materials as well as the quality, safety and efficacy of the finished product.

Ouagadougou Declaration on primary health care and health systems in Africa: achieving better health for Africa in the new Millennium: a declaration by the Member States of the WHO African Region

The International Conference on Primary Health Care and Health Systems in Africa, meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 28 to 30 April 2008, reaffirms the principles of the Declaration of Alma-Ata of September 1978, particularly in regard to health as a fundamental human right and the responsibility that governments have for the health of their people. Having analysed the experience of Primary Health Care implementation in the countries of Africa in the last 30 years, the Conference expresses the need for accelerated action by African governments, partners and communities to improve health; the Conference, also reaffirming the importance of the involvement, participation and empowerment of communities in health development in order to improve their well-being; and recognizing the importance of a concerted partnership, in particular, civil society, private sector and development partners to translate commitments into action. (AU)

Guidelines for Clinical Study of Traditional Medicines in the WHO African Region

WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with the Department of Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy, WHO, organized a series of regional workshops on the regulation of traditional medicinesleading to the publication of this document. The guidelines were subsequently used to train representatives of national drug regulatory authorities from a number of countries within the WHO African Region. The guidelines have been developed to facilitate the registration, marketing and distribution of traditional medicines of assured quality in the WHO African Region. A key section of the guidelines involves the classification of traditional medicines (which can range from the traditional health practitioner's remedies to the traditional medicine derived from scientific research) according to the mode of preparation, the indication and the extent of development of the remedy. Use of this classification system is meant to assist the work of national drug regulatory authorities to assess documentation submitted with the applications for registration of herbal medicines. The guidelines also set out proposals regarding the minimum regulatory requirements for the registration of each category of traditional medicine in terms of the quality of raw plant materials as well as the quality, safety and efficacy of the finished product.

Tools for institutionalizing Traditional Medicine in Medicine Health Systems in WHO African Region

The purpose of this document is to support Member States wishing to institutionalize traditional medicine in their national health systems. Specifically, the guidelines for a national policy on traditional medicine will assist Member States to formulate and implement their national traditional medicine strategies and plans and to monitor key components of such policy within the context of an overall national health policy. Its goals should therefore be consistent with broader health system objectives, and its implementation should support those objectives. The model legal framework is to assist Member States to enact laws to govern the practice of traditional medicine. It provides for the establishment of Traditional Health Practitioners Councils; regulatory frameworks to ensure the efficacy, safety and quality of traditional health care services provided by traditional health practitioners (THPs); and control over the registration, training and practice of THPs. Its goals should be consistent with broader national health legislation objectives, and its implementation should support those objectives.

Promoting the role of traditional medicine systems: a strategy for the African Region (AFR/RC50/9)

This report lays out a regional strategy for Africa, the aim of which is to contribute to the achievement of health for all by optimizing the use of traditional medicines. Its objectives are to develop a framework for the integration of the positivve aspects of traditional medicine into health systems and services, establish mechanisms for the protection of cultural and intellectual property rights, develop viable local industries to improve access to traditional medicines, and strengthen national capacity to mobilize stakeholders for the formulation and implementation of policies.