Herbalists will now be registered, says health minister

By Ally Jamah

A new law will see qualified practitioners of alternative medicine or herbalists in Kenya registered in a bid to lock out quacks from the sector, Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o has revealed.

Speaking Monday at Afya House in Nairobi, the Minister said that the proposed law would make it mandatory for practitioners in the profession to be officially registered, accredited and regulated to ensure they deliver safe and effective treatment to Kenyans.

The proposed regulation will be part of a major health bill that the two Ministries of Health will present to Parliament by this July to make the health sector align itself to the new constitution

"We want to ensure that we have qualified practitioners working in the field of alternative medicine. The sector can solve many of the health problems in Kenya but it has to be regulated before we can see its benefits," he said.

The Minister said that all herbal medicines will first be rigorously tested before being allowed in the market while those that don’t meet the standards will be hounded out.

Nyong’o said that alternative medicines, treatment and practices need to be respected, preserved and promoted based on research and innovation.

"We have a responsibility to ensure appropriate, safe and effective use of traditional medicine as part of a comprehensive national health system," he said.

Meanwhile the health ministry will begin distributing a herbal anti-HIV supplement from China that has been proved to significantly boost immunity of patients who are not on existing Anti-retroviral Therapies.

The granules contain aloe, Gingko Biloba and other powerful herbal extracts that recharge the body’s immune system.

The supplement has undergone trials in Kenya for the past two years in collaboration with the Hong-Kong-based S&E Biotechnology Development Ltd and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri). It has been registered and approved by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

The manufacturers of the "Restore Plus Granules" handed over Sh8 million worth of the supplement to Nyong’o at a ceremony in Nairobi.

"The strong point is that the granules restrain viral replication without any harmful side effects that ARTs have. We hope it will boost the quality of lives for HIV patients and those suffering from depressed immunity," said S&E Chair Lu Ziyan

S&B Biotechnology Development is heavily involved in researching and developing Chinese traditional medicine through a network of universities and hospitals.

China and other countries in East Asia have a vibrant alternative medicine industry worth billions of shillings and experts have been calling for Kenya to maximise on its huge potential in existing traditional medicine through research.