INCORPORATE HERBAL MEDICINE IN HEALTH POLICY????

In the wake of the ominous HIV/Aids scourge, where Malawi ranks highly in prevalence rates, there has been a proliferation of partial remedies or immune boosters in form of herbal medicine. Presently, our markets are littered with all sorts of traditional and herbal medicines, with some being reported to be able to cure HIV/Aids. Most of these medicines (both Chinese and Malawian) are being advertised in our media proclaiming efficiency. It is no wonder that with the hopelessness that comes with the disease people flock to these “saviours”. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to quash or ascertain the efficacy of these medicines. We might be missing a great opportunity here in case our herbs are really making wonders and boosting the immunity and even disinfecting bodies of the virus. The herbal tradition in Malawi goes back thousands of years and maybe we can use our rich indigenous knowledge better if coupled with scientific studies.

The problem however is how we perceive herbalists today. Herbalism as practiced by a herbalist is a respectable profession and has been for many thousands of years, it laid the foundations for modern medicine, botany, pharmacy, aromatherapy and chemistry, unfortunately our fascination with technology and other reasons, it was relegated to an empirical and semi-magic art. Fortunately the surfacing of HIV/Aids and its related conditions, some of which were almost unknown not long ago have come to haunt us, more and more people have started seeking other ways of treating ailments, rediscovering complementary medicine that has created the renaissance of herbalism.

There is an increase in the use of herbal medicine globally for example, annual sales of herbal products were $1 billion in 1991, and in 1997 $3.24 billion in the USA. If a survey was done in Malawi, I am very sure we would be towing the same trend line in herbal usage growth. Unfortunately the herbal knowledge has not increased as rapid as the sales, meaning that there are a great number of people using herbs without the appropriate level of knowledge to use them, not only safely but also effectively. Most of those using herbal medicines were recommended by a friend or relative, creating an unsafe and ineffective aura for herbal remedies. Groups against herbal remedies capitalise on this in their pursuit to ban herbs or to control their sales and use. This creates an atmosphere of mistrust, and does not benefit any type of medicine.

Medical herbalism is not an alternative medicine, as it is not an alternative to psychiatry, acupuncture or dentistry etc., they complement each other. They all have strengths and weaknesses; therefore all medical modalities are complementary within the perspective of the patients needs. Herbalism’s contribution to the healing structure is, its strong foundations, straightforwardness, great depth, effectiveness and its cost. In Malawian context, the cost dimension is a major factor in the choice of medicine.

It is not therefore surprising to see other African governments fully agreeing to support the use of herbal medicine. The government of Kenya has just done so recently through its Health ministry. The utilisation of the medicine would undergo serious vetting by the equivalent of the Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Board before it is sold in pharmacies. Malawi can borrow a leaf from that. Instead of the laissez faire approach, there should be efforts to draft a National Policy on Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Plants that would recognize the input of herbal medicine in the country’s healthcare system. Considering that many Malawians are using traditional and herbal medicines, as they are unable to access conventional medicine, the policy would put regulation and safeguard patients from any possible risks of herbal drugs. This would reduce use of medicines that are not registered, and expose their users to the dangers of poisoning. It would also reduce the number of quacks, who are out to exploit herbal medicine users.


Malawi should just like Kenya, China, Malaysia and Thailand incorporate traditional medicines in its healthcare systems including nutrition rehabilitation cemtres. Patients visiting health facilities in future should be able to decide which kind of medicine they would use - conventional or herbal.

I think is about time to place herbal medicine in its proper place, to be used with the real expectations demonstrated by information accumulated by millennia, and now by scientific testing and assessments. The times to negate herbal effectiveness are long gone, the people have experimented with herbs and the results are there. It will be impossible to stop the progress of herbal medicine, we should be learning how to use it for what it is, not the best, pure or the only medical system, but a complementary medicine with benefits and limitations just like other medical systems. We would have done a great service to future generations by keeping alive the culture of herbal medicine.