Unite, standardise, and invest – Health Minister's call to TAM industry

The Minister of Health (MoH) and Member of Parliament for Juaboso in the Western North Region, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has urged the Traditional and Alternative Medicine (TAM) practitioners in Ghana to “unite, adhere to standards and invest” in the TAM sector to grow it into a world-class industry.

He said this when he delivered a short speech at a stakeholders meeting organized by the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) at the auditorium of the MoH last Thursday.

He was of the view that, with a united front, stakeholders stand to gain heavily from the government’s commitment to the TAM sector.

He further reminded them that, government's commitment in the sector is grounded in the fact that it has been included in the 24 Hour Economy Agenda.

By investing in the sector, he explained that stakeholders need to organize themselves to form cooperatives to acquire lands where they can grow their own medicinal plants and engage in research, which will lead to uncontaminated plants for the preparation of the herbal medicines the sector largely depends on in the face of high usage of weedicides and pesticides by farmers on their farms.

The Board Chair of the TMPC, Prof Samuel Ato Duncan, who chaired the event, stated in his speech that TAM practices in the country is not only a legacy of the ancestors but “a living, dynamic sector that contributes to health, job creation, rural development, export earnings and cultural identity”.

He emphasized the need for professionalism in the sector to weed out the quacks in the system and to position “Ghana as a center of excellence for integrative health and wellness tourism in West Africa”.

He concluded by charging practitioners to engage in research, embrace innovation through knowledge sharing, develop the value chain to expand the market and finally, form partnerships and engage in more public education to educate consumers on the proper use of herbal medicinal products.

The Registrar of the TMPC, Dr (MH) Yusuf Yakubu in a presentation to the stakeholders, outlined critical challenges the Council, which is the regulatory agency under the Ministry of Health (MoH) faces. He stated some being “regulatory gaps, social media misinformation and unprofessional practices that undermine industry potential”.

He pointed to the potential held by the industry which has a global earning of over $200 billion with Ghana’s share of about Gh¢1.7 billion in 2023.

He further alluded to a statement made by HE Olusegun Obasanjo at the African Health Summit held on August 5, 2025 at the Kempiski Hotel in Ghana and convened by HE John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana that, “Africa must leverage herbal medicine” to as Prof Duncan said, for job creation and export earnings.

In concluding, he reiterated a statement by the Minister of Education (MoE) Haruna Iddrisu, “urging universities and research institutions to intensify research into traditional medicine, viewing it as a scientific field that can boost national healthcare and innovation”.

Finally, he called for increased media engagements and education, partnerships with the associations and other government agencies for proper regulations and regular inspections of facilities or premises and professional standards, most of which have already been developed and only need implementation. He called on all stakeholders to support the TMPC.

The event was attended by the Chief Director of the MoH, Desmond Boateng, Director of the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate (TAMD), Dr Anastasia Yirenkyi, and the Administrative Secretary of the TMPC, who came to office in barely a month, Dr Evelyn Abayaah-Issah.