Traditional Healers: Keeping up with the times
CLOSE to 10 people, clad in white dustcoats and gloves could be seen packing medications in a backyard room in one of Harare’s medium-density suburbs.
As some of the workers are refilling empty capsules, others are labelling and stacking colourful packages of medicine in neat piles.
The medication’s name and dosage levels are clearly indicated on the plastic packs.
A visitor to the premises would, without thinking twice, conclude that the workers are employees of a small pharmaceutical company.
On the contrary, the workers are instead, employed by one of the country’s many traditional healers who have decided to move with the times and modernise their operations.
Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of traditional healers who are abandoning the traditional way of treating their patients.
Unlike other traditional healers whose patients are given medicine that they keep in bottles and plastic containers, a number of traditional healers are now packaging their medicine in a neat, modern and convenient way.
Traditional medicine is now packaged in capsules, making it easy for the patients to carry their medications around.
Rather than carrying them in bottles or plastic containers, patients are now carrying pills in small, convenient plastic packs.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu, president of the Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association (ZINPA) is one of the many traditional healers who have decided to go the modern way.
“We are not manufacturing pills as some might want to believe. Instead, we are buying empty capsule shells and then put our traditional medicine. We have resorted to this packaging for a number of reasons, chief among them convenience,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.
Sekuru Chisanyu’s surgery in Mbare exudes an aura of a conventional medical doctor’s clinic.
One of the reasons that the traditional healers are resorting to this kind of packaging is that they are seeking relevance.
“We are forced to move with the times, otherwise we will soon become redundant. The youths and Christians prefer to have their medicine in capsules. We are simply answering their calls,” Sekuru Chisanyu added.
Another traditional healer, Mbuya Tsokosa, says her decision to use capsules is paying off.
“I realised that the trick lies in packaging. People believe that well-packaged medicine treats better than medicine in plastic containers. I am happy to say that since I started using capsules, the number of youths and church-goers that are frequenting my surgery has greatly improved,” Mbuya Tsokosa said.
Some of the advantages of using capsules is that they are convenient since one can move around with them as opposed to carrying around plastic containers.
The capsules, which can also be swallowed, are easy to drink.
Calls have, however, been made for the standardisation of the traditional healers’ operations amid fears that the capsules might be re-filled in unhygienic conditions.
Speaking during a meeting with traditional healers early this year, Dr David Parirenyatwa, the Minister of Health and Child Care, said traditional healers must move with the times and avoid putting the lives of their patients at risk.
“People should be able to consult registered and licenced traditional healers at proper premises. Currently, traditional healers are operating in all sorts of places, putting people’s lives at risk,” Dr Parirenyatwa said then.
Sekuru Chisanyu said most members of his organisation have taken heed of the minister’s call for modernisation.
“We are prepared to abide by whatever standards that the ministry will insist on. At the moment, we are making sure that the packaging is done in clean and safe environments,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.
The World Health Organisation’s draft regional framework for Southern Africa allows for traditional healers to modernise their operations as long as they abide by the set standard rules.
WHO advocates for the incorporation of safe and effective traditional medicine into primary health-care systems.
As a result of the prohibitive medical costs, WHO estimates that 80 percent of people in Africa regularly seek the services of traditional healers. Traditional healers do not always demand cash up front.
In 2002, the organisation issued its first comprehensive guidelines to help countries, such as Zimbabwe, develop policies to regulate traditional medicine
Local traditional healers have since called for the formulation of a national policy on traditional medicine and the regulation of herbal medicines, which they say will help curb herbal piracy.
In Zimbabwe, as is the case in most Southern African countries, the development of national policies and regulation, particularly for herbal medicines, is limited.
If done properly, traditional medicine has the capacity to generate millions of dollars in income.
Zimbabwe needs to learn from China and other countries where herbal medicines are sold in pharmacies as prescrip- tion and over-the-counter drugs without restrictions.
South Africa has made inroads in terms of regulating traditional medicine and bringing traditional healers into a legal framework.
The country has a National Drug Policy and Herbal Authority Board whose duty is to further the interests of traditional healers, who are now producing pills.
The manufacturing requirements for herbal medicines are the same as those used for conventional pharmaceuticals.
Compliance with the requirements is ensured through inspections of herbal medicine manufacturing centres and through a manufacturing licensing system.
In 2005, the South African parliament approved a law that recognises the country’s then estimated 200 000 healers as health-service providers.
Online sources indicates that trade in traditional medicines in South Africa is estimated to be worth R2,9 billion per year, representing 5,6 percent of the national health budget. With 27 million consumers, the trade is vibrant and widespread. At least 133 000 people are employed in the trade, with a large percentage being rural women. In South Africa, registered traditional healers are allowed to prescribe sick leave.
Local traditional healers are calling for the establishment of a board that will specifically deal with herbal medicine, which they say will go a long way in modernising their operations. Sekuru Chisanyu is, however, not happy with the progress that has been made so far in terms of the implementation of the policies that would have been agreed upon during regional meetings .
“The irony is that Zimbabwe has hosted several regional and international meetings where issues to do with traditional medicines have been deliberated on. Sadly, we have failed as a country to implement the results of such important deliberations,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.
Other countries, notably South Africa and Mozambique, have since implemented some of the agreed policies.