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Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act

Since 1968, a law in Uganda has prohibited unlicensed individuals from practicing medicine, dentistry, or surgery. However, traditional healers were exempted if they were recognized by their community as skilled practitioners and if their practice was limited to that community. Traditional medicine holds great importance in Uganda, as its practitioners significantly outnumber biomedical doctors. Interestingly, until recently, the Ministry of Health has overseen biomedical medicine, while traditional medicine was under the Ministry of Women, Culture, and Youth.

In recent years, the Ugandan government has increasingly expressed interest in traditional health systems. For example, the Natural Chemotherapeutic Research Institute was established to scientifically investigate the therapeutic potential of natural products. The goal is to integrate effective natural products into the national health service. This research is conducted in collaboration with traditional practitioners.

In 2019, Uganda began the process of passing the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act (TCMA), which officially recognizes and regulates traditional medicine. This allows traditional healers to protect and commercialize their innovations. Additionally, a National Council for Traditional and Complementary Medicine was created to register and license practitioners.

From the perspective of traditional healers, important questions arise:

  • •How will state recognition and regulation affect traditional practice? Will the spiritual and cultural dimensions be adequately respected?
  • Can complex knowledge systems, passed down through generations, be properly represented through formal licensing and bureaucracy, or is there a risk of simplification and commercialization?
  • How can the rights and intellectual property of traditional healers be effectively protected without depriving them of their autonomy?
  • Will collaboration with biomedical medicine truly occur on equal terms, or will traditional practices continue to face social and institutional disadvantages?

These controversial questions highlight that integrating traditional medicine into formal health systems requires a sensitive balance between protection, recognition, and the preservation of cultural identity.

Sources

https://www.lawyers-uganda.com/legal-protection-available-for-traditional-medicine-brands-in-uganda