The Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) has announced a series of regulatory reforms, including the introduction of digital systems for licensing, registration, and monitoring, as part of efforts to raise standards and eliminate malpractice in Ghana’s Traditional and Alternative Medicine (TAM) sector.
The announcement was made during a high-level stakeholder engagement in Accra that drew over 100 participants, including 28 associations, officials from the Ministry of Health, regulatory agencies, practitioners, and media partners.
According to the Council, the new digital tools are designed to improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and strengthen enforcement in the regulation of traditional medicine — a sector relied upon by more than 70 percent of Ghanaians.
Prof. Samuel Ato Duncan, Chair of the TMPC Board, said stricter oversight was essential to safeguard public trust.
“We must professionalise and protect this practice. Quackery, misinformation, and poor standards cannot be allowed to define a sector that holds enormous potential for healthcare and job creation,” he stressed.
The Ministry of Health also reaffirmed its support, linking the growth of the sector to Ghana’s 24-hour economy agenda. It encouraged practitioners to form cooperatives, invest in herbal research, and cultivate medicinal plants to sustain growth.
Participants at the meeting unanimously backed stronger enforcement of practitioner licensing and registration. They also adopted four key resolutions: regular stakeholder dialogue, stricter guidelines to eliminate quack practices, tighter regulatory collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and a renewed push to integrate TAM into Ghana’s mainstream healthcare system.
The TMPC said these reforms were not just about compliance, but about positioning traditional medicine as a credible and integral part of Ghana’s health delivery framework.
“With stronger regulation and research-backed practice, traditional medicine can serve as a pillar of healthcare delivery and contribute significantly to economic growth,” the Council’s statement concluded.
