Announcing a historic collaborative endeavor, Professor Ato Duncan argues that indigenous knowledge is the “bedrock” for integrating AI ethically into Traditional Chinese and African medicine.
Leading African Traditional healthcare expert Professor Ato Duncan gave a powerful speech at the 2025 China-West Africa Forum on AI Integration in Traditional Medicine, outlining a compelling future in which AI would preserve traditional medical knowledge rather than replace it.
Professor Duncan spoke with a unique authority as the Chairman of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners (GHAFTRAM) and the CEO of COA RMLC, laying forth a plan for cooperation based on respect for one another and a common history.
A Warning Against Forgetting Our Roots
The core of Professor Duncan’s message was a profound caution to the international audience. “There is no way we can benefit from AI without keeping our rich cultural and indigenous knowledge,” he stated. “We should never forget that anything artificial is not real. It is trying to copy the original.”
He argued that the relentless march of technology must not come at the cost of cultural amnesia. “When you forget about the original, then you lose your roots… Without the indigenous knowledge, the traditional knowledge, you can never develop any artificial intelligence system. Everything we see today is from the indigenous knowledge. It already existed before we adopted that.
AI as a Diagnostic Bridge, Not a Replacement
Rather than rejecting AI, Professor Duncan positioned it as a powerful tool to be harnessed, with traditional practice as its essential foundation. “This is the time we should use the AI to create more opportunities so that it can help us in our practice, as well as developing new medicines,” he explained.
He highlighted a critical application for practitioners: enhanced diagnosis. “To be able to diagnose a disease is half of the treatment… You may have the medicine, but the correct diagnosis will help you to treat. And this is what AI is providing. So we should take advantage of this AI system.”
Announcing a New Partnership for the Future
In a significant move towards tangible action, Professor Duncan announced the readiness of Ghana’s major traditional medicine bodies—the Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GATRA) and the Ghana Alternative Medicine Practitioners Association (GAMPA)—to formalize collaboration.
“We are ready to partner with our Chinese counterparts to build an unending bond between the Chinese traditional medicine and indigenous African medicine,” he declared, signaling a new chapter in South-South cooperation in healthcare.
A Call for a Unified, Ethical Vision
Professor Duncan concluded by framing the mission in grand terms, urging attendees to foster innovation that “empowers communities, supports sustainable development, and enhances global health security.”
“The true power of united Chinese traditional medicine and indigenous African healing lies not only in technology,” he said, “but in mutual respect, open dialogue, and shared vision.”
His final words served as a rallying cry for the forum: “Together, let us harness the potential of AI to unite traditions, heal communities, and transform lives.”
