Herbalists defy state order on adverts

KATARE MBASHIRU

The Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu.

DESPITE the government’s decision to ban any advertisement on herbal and alternative medicine in the mainstream media or social media networks, it appears that practitioners have blatantly defied that order.

Earlier this year, the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Children and Elders, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, banned public advertisements of herbal medicine through the media without approval from the Alternative Health Practitioners Council of Tanzania (AHPCT), until further notice.

Since then, there hasn’t been any fresh directive issued so far. Accordingly, the ministry also banned any form of education on herbal clinics through the media or public rallies, underlining that no traditional healer would be allowed to use any media without official approval.

However, the ‘Daily News’ is aware that almost all local television stations have been carrying advertisements of such nature and the ministry has chosen to keep mum although the ban has yet to be lifted.

Asked if the ministry had rescinded its decision, Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender, Children and Elders, Dr Hamis Kigwangalla told the ‘Daily News’ that the directive was issued by the minister and that anything concerning the issue should be directed to her.

“Because the minister is there it is better you ask her on whether the decision was changed or if the practitioners have defied that order -- as of now I am outside the country and I have no additional details,’’ he said.

When contacted, Ms Mwalimu said she had realised that there was a weakness in the implementation of the government order by the AHPCT.

“I have directed the council to furnish me with a report by June 30 because we directed that all adverts should receive a nod from the council but some practitioners have been airing adverts that have no permission from the council,’’ she said.

The minister added that it seemed the council has failed to monitor the advertisements efficiently. “The government will react after receiving the report at the end of this month,’’ she promised.

In an Interview with the ‘Daily News’, AHPCT Assistant Director, Dr Paul Mahame, said there wasn’t any ban concerning advertisements so far.

“What I know is that the government directed herbal and alternative medicine practitioners to follow requisite legal procedures. So far, there is not any ban that was issued apart from the directive on how they should discharge their duties,’’ he told the ‘Daily News’.

In the minister’s directive, herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners were given two weeks to submit their permits to the National Council for Traditional and Alternative Medicine for a review.

The Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Children and Elders, Mr Michael John, said in a statement that the move aimed at improving the provision of traditional medicine.

The statement quoted the PS as directing AHPCT within 14 days to review the business permits and documents of ownership of medical kits used by the herbalists and traditional practitioners for diagnosis.

He explained that the directive aims at ensuring that herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners provide the public with traditional and alternative medicine services in accordance to regulations, policy and guidelines set by the ministry.

The PS pointed out that the provision of traditional and alternative medicine service was facing many challenges and that some traditional and alternative medicine clinics were operating illegally.

Mr Michael mentioned other challenges as provision of drugs that are not registered by the authorities responsible for traditional medicine and advertising the drugs without complying with regulations and guidelines governing them.

The move aimed at stamping out quacks making easy money as practitioners of traditional medicine