Officials at the Kampala-based Natural Chemotherapy Research Institute (NCRI) said with the increasing integration of modern and traditional medicine, more health professionals were becoming qualified to take courses in traditional medicine.
“Our students are working people. Some are medical professionals. It’s good to see medical professionals coming in every year. Nurses, doctors, clinicians coming in. They want diversity. That’s what integration is,” Dr. Francis Omjal, a senior research fellow at NCRI, said Monday.
Dr Omjal said the curriculum has been jointly developed by NCRI and the Department of Industrial Training (DIT) under the Ministry of Education.
“The issue of capacity building is [health] “We currently have one curriculum that covers levels one, two and three. At each level, we teach how to grow it, how to process it and how to produce it in a standard format,” he explained.
Dr Omjal was addressing journalists in Kampala ahead of the African Traditional Medicine Day Conference to be held on October 10 at the Makerere University School of Public Health Auditorium.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional medicine is the totality of knowledge, skills and practices, whether explainable or not, based on theories, beliefs and experiences specific to different cultures, used to maintain health and to prevent, diagnose, ameliorate and treat physical and mental illnesses.
According to a research report by Maud Kamatenesi Mugisha and others, the use of traditional medicine and herbal medicines in the country reaches 70 to 80 percent, suggesting there is a huge market.
According to WHO, many people turn to herbal and traditional medicines because they are available, affordable and culturally familiar.
However, a 2017 report by Merlin Mensa said poor adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), inadequate regulatory measures and adulteration could also lead to adverse events during use.
Dr Grace Nanbatia Kiyoon, director of the Natural Chemotherapy Research Institute (NCRI), said the quality of products was being improved through training and laboratory services in herbal medicine analysis.
“If you look at the new cohort of doctors that we have, we are overwhelmed with the desire they have to come in and do this, and the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Presidency is providing funding if they want to promote this,” he said. [herbal product] Safe and complementary [medicine]” she said.
“And one day we’ll be talking about alternatives, not complements, but right now, [to say] Alternative [medicine] Because there is no validation in Uganda,” she added.
