Traditional Medicine in South Africa

South African Government (2007) The Traditional Health Practitioners Act, No. 22 of 2007.

On 7 January 2008 the President signed into law the Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2007. The Act allows for the establishment of the Interim Traditional Health Practitioners Council of South Africa for three years, which may be extended to five years. The Act provides for a regulatory framework to ensure the efficacy, safety and quality of traditional health care services and provides for the management and control over the registration, training and conduct of practitioners, students and other specified groups.

Electronic version from http://www.polity.org.za

For electronic copies of papers see links on the page and below.

If not available, contact:

Professor Heather McLeod

E-mail: hmcleod@iafrica.com

The South African Health review is produced annually by Health Systems Trust

Interim Traditional Health Practitioners Council of South Africa

To be established.

Traditional and Complementary Medicine. Qqaleni N., Moodley I., Kruger H., McLeod, H. in South African Health Review 2007

Economics of the Traditional Medicine Trade in South Africa.  Mander M., Ntuli L., Diederichs N., Mavundla K. in South African Health Review 2007

Includes Case Study: Traditional Medicine and the Vulture Trade

Traditional Healers. Pretorius E. in South African Health Review 1999.

South African Traditional Medicines Research Unit

The Medical Research Council Traditional Medicines Research Unit was founded in 1997.

Traditional Medicines at SAHealthInfo

This information clearinghouse contains information from the South African Traditional Medicines Research Unit (a joint venture between the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cape Town and the School of Pharmacy, University of Western Cape) and the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology Innovation Fund project 'Anti-malarial medicines from medicinal plants of southern Africa'.

Indigenous Health Care Systems Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

The South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation appointed a new Chair in Indigenous Health Care Systems Research, based at UKZN. Professor Nceba Gqaleni was appointed to this chair on its creation in 2007. He also serves on the Presidential Task team on Traditional medicines and the World Health Organisation (African region) expert committee on traditional medicines.

•Credo Mutwa V. (1996) Song of the Stars : The Lore of a Zulu Shaman. Barrytown.

•Hammond-Tooke D. (1989) Rituals and Medicine : Indigenous Healing in South Africa. 

AD. Donker Publisher

•Speech on African Traditional Medicine Day 2007 by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, 6 September 2007, Limpopo. Press release from National Department of Health.

• Challenging our classic understanding of Health and Healthcare:  

The Role of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Presented at IAAHS Colloquium, Cape Town, May 2007