Happy African Traditional Medicine Day! 💊 🩺 ⚕ 🩸 🏥 #traditionalmedicine #traditionalmedicineday

African Traditional Medicine Day Date in the current year: August 31, 2024

African Traditional Medicine Day is celebrated annually on August 31. It was established by the World Health Organization to honor the importance of traditional medicine for African population and advocate for its integration into healthcare systems.
The term “traditional African medicine” refers to various traditional medicine disciplines that have evolved on the African continent, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. They typically combine indigenous herbalism and African spirituality: practitioners reach a diagnosis through traditional means and prescribe  treatment that usually consists of an herbal remedy.
Like all traditional medicine practices, African traditional medicine is not evidence-based, and its inappropriate use can have negative or even dangerous health effects. However, about 80% of population in Africa still relies on traditional medicine for their basic health needs. In many parts of Africa, it is the only healthcare service that is available, accessible and affordable to local population in rural areas.