Church authorities also voiced caution, emphasising the value of herbal remedies and other healing practices but rejecting the superstitions generally found in witchcraft and magic.
Catholic bishops in Africa backed efforts to integrate traditional medicine into country health systems, as experts examine how the practice can expand access, support prevention and ease pressure on overstretched services.
Many African countries have committed to integrate the practice into health care systems under the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Traditional Medicine strategy.
“I have long advocated for the integration of traditional healing practices – herbal, songs, dance etc – into our health systems. I know standardisation may require further research which by itself is no excuse,” Bishop Willybard Kitogho Lagho of Malindi, Kenya told The Tablet.
Church authorities have also exercised caution, emphasising the value of herbal remedies and other healing practices but rejecting the superstitions generally found in witchcraft and magic.
African bishops’ conferences have no formal positions on the practice, but officials say there are no objections to it. Church health officials also closely following developments in the area, such as in Kenya where researchers are producing usable herbal products for the treatment of various diseases based on indigenous knowledge. Some clergy and Religious elsewhere on the continent also research and practise traditional medicine.
At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala in Cameroon attracted international attention when he announced he could cure the disease. The archbishop, who has practiced traditional medicine for more than 30 years, still urges the integration of the study of medicinal plants into universities.
Today, Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Kenya run Medicine At Your Doorstep, a project at Subiaco Retreat Centre in Nairobi. The project features a small shop, which offers tinctures, essential oils and honey, among other products.
According to Dr Hiba Boujnah, the Head of Global Strategy and Partnerships at the Charité Competence Centre for Traditional and Integrative Medicine, across Africa, traditional medicine remains a vital component of health and well-being.
“And it does remain the first point of care for many in Africa and around the world. And it is today undeniable that traditional medicine plays a crucial role in strengthening primary healthcare towards achieving universal health coverage,” she said at a meeting held in Nairobi on 27-29 April, under the theme “Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence”.
Boujnah, also the WHO collaborating coordinator at the centre, said the question now is no longer whether traditional medicine has a role to play, but rather how it can translate into safe, evidence-informed, and scalable implementation.
