The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
Traditional healers intend to work hand-in-glove with scientists in research efforts for therapeutics and medicines that can be used to treat the coronavirus.
Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association (ZINPA) president Friday Chisanyu, whose grouping also represents herbalists, said the law, particularly the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act, needs to be fine-tuned to include them in collaborative research efforts to find treatment for diseases.
“There is an urgent need for inclusive collaborative research and accurate information and knowledge sharing about Covid-19. This is an effective way of reducing the burden associated with the pandemic,” Chisanyu said.
He claims that the Traditional Medical Practitioners Act, which is monitored and administered by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, has a lot of loopholes that need to be plugged.
“Apart from giving traditional healing no scientific merit, this Act does not give Government the mandate to train traditional and faith healers as part of the mainstream health system. This is despite the fact that Government acknowledges that 80 percent of Zimbabweans rely on traditional medicine.”
The Traditional Medical Practitioners Act was passed in 1981.
Traditional healers were first given professional recognition at Independence through the establishment of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA).
Government also established a traditional medicine directorate within the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The directorate is the regulating and controlling authority whose mandate is to ensure safe traditional medical practices.
It registers and licenses all traditional medical activities in the country.
Herbal medicines are experiencing a global renaissance, with the World Health Organisation estimating that more than 80 percent of the world’s population uses this type of medicinal therapy.
Statistics show that in Africa, 50 percent of the population regularly uses alternative therapies, natural herbs being the most used.
“I am happy to say that some of our members are now part of the Covid-19 response team. We appreciate this recognition. We were given the necessary gadgets and training that will help in the fight against this pandemic,” Chisanyu said.
