Pan-African Parliament turns to traditional medicine to cut maternal and infant deaths

The move follows a resolution adopted by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), which is seeking a continent-wide legal framework to regulate traditional medicine, protect indigenous knowledge and strengthen maternal and neonatal healthcare.

African countries are set to accelerate the integration of traditional medicine into their national health systems as part of a continental push to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

The resolution, spearheaded by the Parliament’s Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs chaired by Ghanaian MP Frank Annoh-Dompreh, mandates the development of a Pan-African Model Law on Traditional Medicines and the Protection of Local Knowledge.