Herald Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Welfare will soon release a policy
framework document on guidelines to manufacture and market herbal medicines
in the country, a deputy minister has said.
The guidelines would ensure safety and proper use of herbal medicines.
In an interview, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr Edwin Muguti
said Government was almost through with the formulation of the guidelines.
"We have gone a long way in coming up with a policy framework and we are
almost through. It would be released in due course," he said.
Dr Muguti said the policy framework would regulate issues such as safe
manufacturing, packaging and sale of traditional herbs in an orderly manner.
While the majority of the people in Zimbabwe relied on traditional
medicines, most were consulting traditional medicine practitioners under the
cover of darkness because of the stigma still attached to it.
Western herbal medicines are far more readily available in safe, packaged
forms.
Last year, the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association said it
could help resuscitate the country’s ailing health delivery system if its
members were allowed to practice in empty hospital structures.
