Traditional Medicine in Zambia

In all manner of honesty and sincerity, many Zambians can relate to the use of traditional medicine for healing, prevention and even use in traditional rites of passage. World Health Organization WHO (2008) admits that traditional medicine has been used in some communities for thousands of years. It further provides that some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care and that 70% to 80% of the population in developed countries has used some form of alternative or complimentary medicine with an example of acupuncture. Furthermore, the facts presented are Herbal medicines are the most lucrative form of traditional medicine, generating billions of dollars in revenue. Traditional medicine can treat various infectious and chronic conditions: new antimalarial drugs were developed from the discovery and isolation of artemisinin from Artemisia annua L., a plant used in China for almost 2000 years. Counterfeit, poor quality or adulterated herbal products in international markets are serious patient safety threats. More than 100 countries have regulations for herbal medicines.
Traditional medicine, variously known as ethno-medicine, folk medicine, native healing, or complementary and alternative medicine, is the oldest form of health care system that has stood the test of time. It is an ancient and culture-bound method of healing that humans have used to cope and deal with various diseases that have threatened their existence and survival. The art of practicing traditional medicine is usually passed from one generation to the other. Hence, traditional medicine is broad and diverse. Consequently, different societies have evolved different forms of indigenous healing methods that are captured under the broad concept of traditional medicine. This explains the reason why there is no single universally accepted definition of the term. This notwithstanding, one of the most acceptable definitions of traditional