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Health is a very precious asset, which comes with many positive multiplier effects.

The Asian Tigers and the Far East boast of one of the highest life expectancy rates globally. The only secret behind this enviable record is trust, confidence and conscious priority accorded harnessing and development of an indigenous medical industry.

Two unique undisputable positive effects of high life expectancy of citizens of the Asian Tigers and the Far East are the drastic reduction in curative healthcare expenditure and the phenomenal rate at which these Asian Tigers and the Far East economies are evolving, defying established economic theories in the face of global economic meltdowns, threatening many superpowers and versed interests globally.

Mr. Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health superintends over TMPC, works hard to ensure quality traditional and alternative medicines are integrated into an improved national healthcare delivery system.

Patronage

In Ghana data and statistics available from the Ministry of Health, (MoH), the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate steady growth and increase in the usage and patronage of indigenous Medicare and products.

MoH has more so accelerated efforts, particularly within its 2014-2017 medium term policy strategy to gradually integrate, quality and safe traditional and alternative medicine into an improved and better national healthcare delivery system.

Administration and Legislation.

MoH is the statutory superintending technical ministry that oversees the affairs of the industry in Ghana.

Legislation

The legal framework that regulates the industry in Ghana is the Traditional Medicine Practice Act 2000, (Act 575) and the Ministerial Directive on Traditional and Alternative Medicine,(TAM) in Ghana.

Act 575 designates the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) as the statutory institution that is mandated to regulate the profession in the country.

TMPC’s mandate is premised on three main thematic areas namely, promotion, control and regulation of traditionaland alternative medicine industry in the country holistically.

Challenges

The Council, since its establishment has to contend with non-compliance and the need for regular enforcement, among others.
Commencement of Operation.

Even though Act 575 was promulgated in 2000, TMPC national secretariat commenced its full regulatory operations in September 2007 and has since not looked back in instilling discipline and sanity aimed at safe, quality and efficacious TAM practice.

Feats

Since 2000, when Act 575 was enacted, which established TMPC, a lot of achievements have been chalked notwithstanding the challenges.

In spite of numerous challenges, the council is still committed to consolidate the gains, stressing on quality care, products and practices. This will promote the industry to higher heights in the country and beyond.

Some of the achievement are: efforts to integrate the profession into an improve national healthcare delivery system; licensing and accrediting practitioners; regular special enforcement exercise to reduce quackery; professional qualifying examination for practitioners; training; retraining.

The Council has also branded and created a respectable image for an important but an overlooked and underestimated industry.

Way forward

The industry has the potential and can certainly contribute to improve our life expectancy rate, when prioritized and the full potential harnessed. It may also reduce our curative healthcare expenditure. Further it may put Ghana at the forefront as the star of Africa, championing homegrown indigenous or tradition and custom healthcare delivery system.

TMPC therefore pleads for both technical and financial support from all in order to realize the dreams as discussed above.

Torgbuiga Yaka IV, Registrar, Traditional Medicine Practice Council, MoH, is not relenting in efforts to ensure that only safe quality and efficacious traditional and alternative medicines are integrated into the national healthcare delivery system.

Prospect

So far so good Traditional and Alternative has good prospects with the support. Ghana Traditional and Alternative practice will meet.

Collaboration

TMPC does not regulate the industry alone, it collaborates effectively with other analogue sister agencies as the Food and Drugs Authority, Centre for Plant Research among others to ensure that the public is served with wholesome and efficacious products and services, of the highest quality and standards.

Shared Responsibility

Additionally, we must all therefore join forces with TMPC as stakeholders to own, sanitize and regulate the profession to grow and succeed, since regulation is and must be a shared responsibility.