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Traditional Medicine PlayingImportant Role - NduhuraThe Republic of UgandaDaily MonitorNovember 6, 2007Uganda joins other African countries to commemoratethe 5 th African Traditional Medicine ay. The theme forthis year is ‘Research & Development of TraditionalMedicine in WHO African Region’.In Uganda and the rest of Africa, traditional medicinecontinues to play a very important role in health caredelivery for primary health care. A large number of thepopulation in Uganda tends to rely on traditionalmedicine and this has resulted in the tremendous rise innumber of people using traditional medicine countrywide.Therefore, pharmaceutical companies, traditional healthpractitioners, conventional health practitioners have a lotto benefit in traditional medicine (herbal medicine) ifResearch and Development is embraced. This is an areaUganda has a competitive advantage. The government ofUganda is encouraging investment in this sector in orderto create employment for scientific innovators.The role of research and development in traditionalmedicine in Uganda is very important. There is greatneed for scientists and researchers to carry outcomprehensive research and development of traditionalmedicine to ensure that validated and standardizedproducts are used in health delivery systems. Most of ourherbal formulations are not standardized to meet theminimum national requirement for registration withNational Drug Authority.Public and private collaboration is crucial in thedevelopment of traditional medicine in Uganda. TheGovernment of Uganda has come out strongly to supportscience based courses at the universities and sciencebased researches. The millennium science initiative underUganda National Science Council for Science andTechnology is one among the many examples ofGovernment initiatives to support research anddevelopment. This is an opportunity for all thestakeholders in traditional medicine to encourage ouryoung scientists to get involved in research anddevelopment.The Ministry of Health public private partnership policyfor Health is intended to streamline research anddevelopment of traditional medicine. The National policyon Traditional and Complimentary Medicine (TCM) isdue to be tabled to cabinet. This Policy forms backgroundfor enhancing Research and Development in traditionalmedicine.The Ministry of Health pledges its total support to allScientists and Natural Chemotherapeutics ResearchLaboratory in particular for their effort in Research andDevelopment of traditional medicine. A number ofherbal formulations are being standardized to ensurethat they are safe and efficacious. The NaturalChemotherapeutics Research Laboratory has managedto identify the research priorities in traditional medicinewhich is inline with Health Sector Strategic Plan.As we commemorate this day therefore I call upon allscientists to embrace Research and Development oftraditional medicine. This will add value to our naturalproducts and herbal medicines for fulfilling thegrowing needs in quality and safety in natural products.We also need to ensure that our natural resources areconserved as we develop traditional medicine.The World Health Organization (WHO) observes thisday on every 31 of August. However, in Uganda, thisday for this year will be observed in November 2007.I wish all Ugandans joyous celebration of the 5 thAfrican Traditional Medicine Day.FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRYMinister of State for Health General Duties,Honorable Richard Nduhura☻☻☻☻☻☻Enhancing Research in theWHO African RegionResearch and Development of TraditionalMedicine in the WHO African RegionDaily MonitorNovember 6, 2007In Africa, close to 80% of the population continue torely on traditional medicine for health delivery. In mostcases traditional medicines has been found withinreach, easy access and with minimal side effects.However this is not to say it’s free from unwanted sideeffects. Lack of proper standards for herbal medicineshas affected its integration into the National health caredelivery systems for African countries includingUganda. The Natural Chemotherapeutics ResearchLaboratory (NCRL) is faced with challenges ofevaluating large numbers of herbal medicines locallyused in order to justify their therapeutic claims as wellas demonstrate their clinical efficacy.While herbal medicine is useful, it poses lots of chal-Continued on page 29-28- Traditional African Clinic October 2008
Continued from page 28 – Enhancing Research in the WHOAfrica Regionlenges for example, safety and efficacy before it cansustainably be integrated into the health care deliverysystems. This is the reason the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) has strongly come out to support anumber of countries with Research and Developmentguidelines in traditional medicine.There is also added financial support from WHO forinstitutions to develop policies on traditional medicineand clinically validate herbal therapies.Despite the challenges, NCRL has been at the forefront ofResearch and Development of herbal medicine inUganda. A number of herbal formulations are beingstandardized to ensure that they are safe and efficaciousand thereafter be considered for registration withNational Drug Authority (NDA).The Network on Medicinal Plants and TraditionalMedicine Project with a Secretariat at NCRL, supportedby International Development Research Centre (IDRC),Ottawa, Canada has also assessed current researchactivities on medicinal plants and traditional medicine inE. Africa, identified the research priorities in medicinalplants and traditional medicine, enhanced researchcapacities and harmonized research approaches andmethodologies for sustainable management of medicinalplants. The project has promoted collaborative researchprojects in medicinal plants and traditional medicinewithin the E. African countries and strengthened thecapacity of traditional health practitioners in Researchand Development in traditional medicine.A meeting on the institutionalization of the Networkwithin the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) ofthe East Africa Community was held in Kampala inSeptember 2007. It was attended by representatives fromthe LBVC, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.It was recommended that the Network evolves into apartnership in order to carry out activities identified in thestrategic framework of Network of Medicinal Plants andTraditional Medicine (EA). The LVBC is ready toembrace the Network if it evolved into a partnership andthis will also bring in Rwanda and Burundi as they arenow members of the East African Community. Therecently conclude Natural Product Research in East andCentral Africa (NAPRECA) Conference threw light onrecent advancement in Natural Product Research andDevelopment. This conference was able to revive hopeabout the possible cures of the forgotten or neglectedtropical diseases for example, trypanosomiasis,onchorcirciasis, etc from our biodiversity. The meeting ofgreat renowned scientists in such a high profileconference hosted by Makerere University between 22 nd-29- Traditional African Clinic October 2008and 26 th July 2007 was a great land mark in the historyof NAPRECA, Uganda.The NCRL was privileged to be treated to a presymposiumactivity that revived research anddevelopment in the light of hinging onethnopharmacology and the need to be proactive toenvironmental issues. All these are to ensure asuccessful future in research and development innatural products.Through the above theme, NCRL will strengthenResearch and Development of herbal medicines in thecountry though wider institutional collaborations withother institutions e.g., Uganda Industrial ResearchInstitute, National Drug Authority, Uganda NationalCouncil for Science and Technology, Uganda NationalBureau of Standards, Uganda Export Promotion Board,Uganda Investment Authority and a number ofacademic Research Institutions.Currently with collaboration with National DrugAuthority, some of the herbal formulae are to beregistered and these products will be able to be sold inpharmacies and drug shops around the country. Inaddition, a number of private investors have started toinvest in herbal pharmaceutical processing of localherbal products which range from decoction, infusions,syrups , cosmetics and many others,The former National Enterprise Corporation now NEC-Healthworld Ltd is due to commence manufacture ofsome of the herbal products in Uganda.Many local and international private investors havecontacted NCRL and Ministry of Health to discussissues of partnership in research and development ofherbal medicine. These among other include Republicof North Korea, China, Egypt, Iran and countries withinthe East African region.The Government is currently in the final stages ofdeveloping the National Policy on Traditional andComplimentary Medicine (TCM) and soon to discussthe traditional medicine practice Bill as developed byLaw Reform Commission in 2002 that will regulatepractice of traditional medicine and bring it to nationaland internationally acceptable standards. The policyand bill are waiting input from stakeholders before thebill is tabled to cabinet. The Ministry of Health throughsupport from World Health Organization andcollaboration with stakeholders is also developing codeof ethics for the tradition healing practice. The TCMPolicy, Traditional Medicine Practice Bill and Code ofEthics for Traditional Medicine will stream-lineResearch and Development in Traditional medicine.Continued on page 30
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