NDA moves to register herbalists

NDA to register all herbalists to ascertain quality and effectiveness of herbal medicine

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Drug Authority-NDA is in the process of registering herbal medicine practitioners across the country in a bid to ensure the quality and safety of herbal medicine.

Michael Mutyaba, the manager National Medicines at NDA disclosed that the move to register all herbal medicine practitioners is geared towards ensuring quality and ascertain the effectiveness of herbal medicine.

“It’s the cardinal role of the National Drug Authority to protect human and animal population from poor quality, unsafe and infective drugs,” Mutyaba stated.

According to Mutyaba, the Health Ministry has since established that 60% of Ugandans consume herbal medicine. He reveals that NDA has so far registered and cleared over 180 locally made herbal medicines.

Jamil Mukwaya Lutakome, the President National Herbalists Association told our reporter that registering herbalists will help weed out impersonators and conmen.

He has also urged the herbalists to improve the quality of herbal medicines to increase its acceptability in the market.

Zaidi Waisa, a herbalist in Soroti welcomed the proposed registration by NDA.

Patrick Okumu, the Soroti Resident District Commissioner condemned some of the herbalists who engage in unprofessional conduct in the name of treating their patients.

In 2019, parliament approved the Traditional and Complementary Medical Medicine Act that spells out regulations and guidelines pertaining to herbal medicine in Uganda.

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