‘Is there no balm in Zambia?’

BY THANDIWE MOYO –
The Traditional Health Practitioners Association of Zambia (THAPAZ) has called on the government to support the practice of traditional healing methods to contribute to national wellness.
THAPAZ President Rodwell Vongo told the Sunday Times it was often the case these days that patients sent to foreign countries for treatment ended up being prescribed herbal remedies that could be provided by local traditional healers.
Dr Vongo said it was disappointing that government did not seem to be overly enthusiastic about supporting the practice of traditional healing methods that Zambian communities once depended on.
Dr Vongo said most traditional healing methods practised in Zambia had been proved over generations and could be relied upon to help the government promote health and wellness among the national population.
He said he often wondered why some sick people were prepared to spend huge amounts of money to travel to faraway countries in the Far East only to be prescribed the same herbal treatment they could receive locally if government supported the work of local traditional healers.
Dr Vongo said there was need to break barriers that prohibited traditional healing methods.
He said the government should engage traditional healers to construct a botanic garden to cultivate the various traditional medicinal plants that could help heal a range of diseases common among Zambians.
“In the past people relied on herbal medicine and they were strong and healthy. Promoting the use of traditional medicine will help not only our health but also boost the economy,” he said.