Traditional medicine: Perspectives and policies in health care development

Abstract

Traditional medical systems have been re‐evaluated by governments and health care planners as neglected contributors to health care delivery in developing countries. In the paper, an overview of the three broad policies on traditional medicine which the governments of various African countries have followed — namely illegalisation, legalisation and tacit recognition — is presented. In several African countries, programmes have been developed which seek to promote traditional medicine or integrate traditional and western medical systems. Against the backdrop of government policy, the traditional medicine programmes in Zimbabwe and Ghana are discussed. The paper highlights the lack of both scholarly and policy—oriented research into traditional medical systems as a developmental issue in South Africa.