Ghana Makes Strides in Implementing WHO Integration Policy - Deputy Health Minister

18 November 2022
GhanaToday (Accra)
By Richard Aniagyei

Ghana has made great strides in implementing the WHO integration policy which seeks to integrate Herbal Medicine practice into the main Orthodox Healthcare practice at the various government hospitals.

This compliments the assertion that Traditional Medicine and Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) could make significant contributions to the attainment of universal health coverage (UHC).

The Deputy Minister for Health Mrs Tina Gifty Naa Ayeley Mensah announced this at the 20th anniversary of African Traditional Medicine day and Ghana's 23rd traditional medicine week in Accra on Thursday.

She noted that many African countries including Ghana adopted the WHO policies after appropriate modifications to advance the research and development (R&D) of Traditional Medicine.

She recognised the contributions of Traditional Medicine in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and as such called on agencies to invest in herbal traditional medicine

"As we can see from above and the role Traditional Medicine played in COVID-19, we can tell that Traditional Medicine has paid its dues in delivering primary healthcare. Ghana recognizes the many benefits of Traditional Medicine and the current government is poised to ensure that TM reaches its full height in development," she stated.

According to her, the Ministry of Health continues to welcome partnerships with practitioners of traditional and complementary medicine, science, technology, and innovation institutions, and the private sector in its bit to boost the local production of traditional and herbal medicine-based therapy for the health and well-being of Ghanaians and the larger international community.

She implored traditional medicine producers and stakeholders to take medicinal plant conservation seriously to enable the country to maintain our rich biodiversity with a proper plan for protecting our forests and medicinal plants.

"The Ministry of Health will continue to spearhead the development of tradition medicines as a critical sector for the country to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC)" she added.

Read the original article on GhanaToday.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2022 GhanaToday. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.