Health Minister Honorable Mohamed Omary Mchengerwa has welcomed international communities and various stakeholders in the global health sector to collaborate with Tanzania in conducting research, innovation, and technology transfer, as well as ethical trade in traditional medicine to enhance the services of natural healing, recognizing that traditional medicine can be a vital pillar for better health and sustainable economic development worldwide.
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| Minister Mchengerwa advocates for global partnerships to enhance Tanzania's healthcare standards, aiming for improved services and better health outcomes for all. |
"Tanzania is transitioning traditional medicine from a conventional system to one based on scientific evidence, professionally regulated, digitally protected, and economically contributive. Currently, approximately 60% of Tanzanians rely on traditional medicine, with over 60,000 practitioners and more than 2,000 registered centers across the country," he said.
"The Tanzanian government is emphasizing affordable community-focused research, alongside the validation of safety, quality, and efficiency of traditional medicine, in line with the implementation of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy for 2025–2034'' he added .
Tanzania does not relax its regulation of traditional medicine but rather enhances it professionally through robust legal frameworks and regulatory institutions.
Discussing the integration of traditional medicine into health systems, Minister Mchengerwa said that Tanzania has begun incorporating traditional healing services in health facilities, where to date, 27 traditional medicine products have been utilized in health service delivery since 2023, emphasizing that the integration of traditional medicine into health systems is a not competition but collaboration, aimed at achieving 'Universal Health Coverage'
In the realm of economic development, Honorable Mchengerwa has highlighted that Tanzania has registered 141 natural medicine products, with over 90% produced by local small-scale manufacturers. This initiative contributes to job creation and economic growth. Furthermore, the government, through the Ministry of Health, continues to promote partnerships between the public and private sectors, focusing on medicinal plant agriculture, processing, and access to both domestic and international markets.
He also emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and the traditional knowledge of communities, alongside the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to preserve, verify, and safeguard natural medicine knowledge.
"Technology will not replace traditional healers but will enhance and protect their wisdom." Dr Mchengerwa said
The three-day conference is expected to conclude today with the presence of India's Prime Minister, Honorable Narendra Modi, underscoring the significance and high-level importance of this meeting in policy-making.
Tanzania has placed a strong emphasis on health, technology, and education, aiming to ensure that the vision for 2050 is realized, which targets significant advancements in the digital economy, innovation, clean energy, and employment for every Tanzanian.