Submission ID 116967
| Issue/Objective | In Ghana, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inefficiencies and gaps in the delivery of healthcare services. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has approved the Recommended Herbal Medicine List (RHML) for inclusion in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). This is consistent with the government's commitment to the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and a healthy population to ensure the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3 by 2030), that is "Achieving Health for All at all Ages". Ironically, the WHO through the Alma-Ata Declaration in 1978 cited Traditional Medical practitioners among health workers for the achievement of the expired "Health for all by 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic some herbal clinics recorded significant increases in the use of herbal medicine. Over 70% of Ghanaians rely on Traditional Medicine (TM) for various health reasons and yet TM has been excluded from the NHIS. Consumers of herbal medicine (HM) pay out of their pockets leading to "catastrophic health outcomes" This paper is focused on addressing disparities and the need for innovations in health care access, resources, and financing. The main objective is to advocate for medical pluralism in Ghana; as well the inclusion of the HM in the NHIS. |
|---|---|
| Methodology/Approach | Based on secondary data and short interviews with healthcare stakeholders including Ghana Health Service, MOH and the NHIS. Computerized search was conducted in electronic databases such as Social Science Citation Index, MED-LINE, and ERIC. The Centre for Plant Medicine Research in active collaboration with the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association have continued to advocate for medical pluralism |
| Results | The MOH has accepted the inclusion of Recommended Herbal Medicines List The contains 106 Herbal medicine for treatment of 15 health concerns in the NHIS, but not yet implemented. The WHO recommends the integration of HM with orthodox medicine. HM is accessible in 55 hospitals where there are special units manned by highly trained medical herbalists. There is mistrust between the powerful Ghana Medical Association and the marginalized Ghana Federation of Practitioners of Traditional Medicine which is the obstacle in the acceptance of herbal medicine. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Recently, treatments and remedies used in African Traditional Medicine have gained more acceptance and popularity from Western science with endorsement from WHO. High cost of modern health care in Ghana calls for promotion, development and financing of traditional medicine to reduce the over reliance on orthodox medicine in Ghana. The main obstacle to the inclusion of the Recommended Herbal Medicine List is the mistrust between the powerful Ghana Medical Association and the marginalized Ghana Federation of Traditional Healers Association. The need to build a genuine trust between these health care providers through dialogue and mutual respect cannot be overemphasized. The new professional doctoral training in herbal medicine introduced by Pentecost University is a step in the right direction as we navigate the path to medical pluralism in a changing global order. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Kofi Barimah Ghana Communication Technology University Helena Oteng Nyamekye Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital |
